April 8, 2014

From: Dave Miller, Ph.D. ... Where is God when I Hurt?

 http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1238

Where is God when I Hurt?

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

No doubt many people over the centuries and throughout the world have rejected belief in the one true God on the grounds that they have witnessed or experienced great pain and suffering. Perhaps the loss of a loved one, or some other tragedy in their life, made them resentful and bitter toward God and life. By blaming God, somehow the pain seemed more bearable. But the Bible speaks definitively on this matter. And only the Bible can give us an accurate explanation for the existence of pain and suffering on the Earth.
Many great men and women in Bible history have preceded us in their attempts to live faithfully for God in the face of great hardship. Being human beings just like us, they faced the daily struggle to overcome self, sin, and Satan. They, too, had to cope with the stress and strain of life. They, too, had to endure hurt. We can learn from their behavior (Romans 15:4). If we will consider their lives and their reaction to the difficulties of life, we can receive from their example the necessary strength to endure. When we observe how they were mistreated and persecuted, and how they coped with their hurt, we can draw from them the needed encouragement to endure and achieve the victory.

STEPHEN

For example, in his efforts to live the Christian life, Stephen found himself standing before the highest legislative body of the Jewish nation—the 71 members of the Sanhedrin that included the High Priest as president. He was on trial for his life. Instead of offering a legal defense, he preached a sermon. He surveyed Israelite history, spotlighting their behavioral propensity for apostasy, and then he drove his sermon home with this grand conclusion:
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it (Acts 7:51-53).
Here was this great man of God, on trial for his life, and yet no speech could ever be less calculated to gain one’s acquittal. Instead of defending himself to achieve his release, Stephen’s sermon placed his accusers on trial before the bar of God!
Their reaction? They were cut to the heart and gritted their teeth at him. They began yelling at the top of their lungs while they stopped up their ears. Then they ran at him, dragged him outside the city, and threw rocks at him until they beat the life from his body. Did Stephen experience great hurt? Yes, even unto death! Where was God? Right there with him! In fact, by the miraculous intervention of God, he was able to gaze upward into heaven itself and see the glory of God, and Jesus standing at His right hand. When you and I hurt, God and Christ are still there!

ELIJAH

Then there was Elijah (1 Kings 19). Upon hearing that Jezebel had “put out a contract” on his life, he literally “ran for his life” into the desert and hid in a cave. God spoke to him directly and said, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” His response showed a heart filled with desperation and despair when he insisted that he had been very zealous for the Lord, despite the fact that the Israelites had forsaken the covenant, torn down God’s altars, and killed God’s prophets. He felt he was the only one left—and they were trying to kill him, too! Here was a man who felt the crushing pressure of persecution. Here was a man who was hurting.
Yet, God had provided him with appropriate victories in life. When he went to meet his king (1 Kings 18), he was accused of making trouble for God’s people. But the truth was, it was Ahab who troubled Israel by forsaking God’s commands. He then challenged the hundreds of false prophets to meet him in a contest on Mt. Carmel to determine once and for all who is God. When those false prophets tried all day long to evoke a response from their god to ignite the sacrifice, they failed miserably. Elijah then gathered all the people around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord. Placing wood upon the altar and carefully arranging the sacrificial meat upon the wood, he ordered it to be doused with water, thoroughly saturating the entire sacrificial site. Then he offered a simple prayer to the God of heaven, which elicited fire that roared down out of the atmosphere, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, the altar stones, the water, and even the dust! That caused God’s people to get their thinking straight, and Elijah ordered the execution of the false prophets. Was Elijah a man who had to endure hurt? Yes! But God was with him!

DANIEL

And what of Daniel? Deported from his homeland while still a youth, he was placed in an unfriendly foreign culture and forced to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. When his political enemies became jealous over his success and favor with the king, they finagled the law to get Daniel in trouble with the legal system. His crime? Praying to the one true God regularly! His punishment? Death by being thrown to lions. Talk about hurt! Yet, God was with him and stopped the mouths of the lions (Hebrews 11:33). Though he spent the night in the lions’ den, he was retrieved the next morning safe and sound. His accusers were substituted in his place, and the Bible says the lions tore them in pieces before their bodies hit the ground (Daniel 6:24). Did Daniel have to face hurt in life? Yes! But God was with him!

AMOS

Then there is Amos. He had no intention of being used by God as a prophet (Amos 7:14). He was spending his life tending sheep and sycamore trees that produced a fruit that had to be manually pierced to ripen. But when God commissioned him to travel from his home in southern Palestine to northern Palestine, and to present God’s words to those people, he went. But he was not well received. When he announced that Israel would be laid waste and the king himself would die by the sword, you can imagine the reaction. Amaziah the priest accused him of conspiracy to overthrow the government, and tried to intimidate him into leaving the country immediately. Amos responded by making clear that he was no prophet by profession, and would have been content to do the humble work he performed in his private life. But God had instructed him to prophesy, and that’s what he was going to do. Not only would Israel fall, but Amaziah’s own children would be killed and his own wife turned into a prostitute (Amos 7:17). Was Amos placed in a situation that brought hurt into his life? Criticism? Opposition? Yes! But God saw him through his hurt!

MICAIAH

Micaiah, too, faced the pressures and hurts of life. When the king of Israel and the king of Judah met to discuss the possibility of a mutual military campaign, the king of Judah wanted some reassurance from God that their efforts would be successful. Ahab paraded his 400 false prophets before Jehoshaphat, and the “yes men” offered the desired reassurance. But Jehoshaphat was uneasy and wanted some more credible indication. Ahab admitted that Micaiah could be consulted—“but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil” (1 Kings 22:8).
Micaiah was immediately summoned. The two kings sat upon their thrones, listening to the false prophets. One false prophet, Zedekiah, even dramatized his reassurance by holding up an iron replica of some ox horns and declaring that the kings would gore the Syrians to death. Meanwhile, the officer who had been sent to bring Micaiah to them, urged him to go along with the other prophets and reassure the king. But Micaiah said he would say what the Lord told him to say, and when questioned by the king, he sarcastically suggested that they go right ahead. When pressed to get serious, Micaiah predicted that the army would be scattered and Ahab would be killed. He then described how a lying spirit was directing the advice of the false prophets—whereupon Zedekiah walked over, slapped Micaiah across the face, and taunted him with the words, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you?” Micaiah said he would find out on that day of military calamity when he would run and hide in an inner chamber.
Micaiah was sent to prison for his courageous stand, and was placed on bread and water. But when the battle ensued, Ahab disguised himself for the specific purpose of avoiding Micaiah’s prediction. The Syrian king even assembled a “swat” team of 32 assassins, and charged them to avoid all conflict and concentrate solely on getting Ahab. But God did not use them to accomplish His prediction. Instead, the Bible informs us that a nameless archer drew back his bow and let his arrow fly “at random,” that is, aiming at no one in particular—no doubt just excited in the heat of battle. Out of all those soldiers who were occupying the battlefield, that arrow found its way to Ahab. And out of all the places on Ahab’s armor, that arrow struck in the crevice between the joints of the armor and punctured his wicked heart. His blood pooled in the bottom of his chariot and he was dead by sundown. Micaiah had to face hurt—but God was with him, and he lived to see the demise of those who inflicted the hurt.

JOHN

The Elijah of the New Testament faced the same thing. He had to stand up and confront the Pharisees and Sadducees face to face, label them “vipers,” insist upon repentance, and warn them of the wrath and unquenchable fire to come (Matthew 3:7-12). When he had the courage to inform the king that his marriage was unacceptable to God, the king’s illicit wife held it against John and wanted him eliminated. She got her way, and the executioner cut off John’s head, leaving only his headless corpse for his disciples to bury (Mark 6:14-29). Did John face hurt? Yes—even unto death! But was God with John? Jesus, Himself, said, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). God knows our hurt, and He is there.

PAUL

Paul was a model of persecution. The list of his persecutions is lengthy (2 Corinthians 11:24-28). He received the customary 40 lashes (Deuteronomy 25:1-3) from the Jews on five separate occasions. Three times he received the customary Roman beating with rods (Acts 16:23). He was even stoned (Acts 14:19). Three times he went through the harrowing experience of being shipwrecked (e.g., Acts 27:41ff.), and even drifted on the ocean all night and all day. He experienced the fatigue of frequent travels, the perils of waters, robbers, angry countrymen, and Gentiles. He suffered in the city and in the desert, in the sea and among false brethren. He went through weariness, toil, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, and nakedness. He was a hounded, hunted, harassed, and hurt man! He experienced the insecurity and fright that comes from vicious opposition. But the Lord said to him, “Don’t be afraid, but speak, and don’t keep silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you” (Acts 18:9-10). When he faced the hurtful pain of a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble, the Lord reassured him—even in the midst of his suffering—“My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He was able to conclude: “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Infirmity, distress, reproach, persecution? These things hurt! But through it all—we are assured of the help of our Lord!

JESUS

But the supreme example of suffering and hurt is that of Jesus Christ Himself. Besides the lack of physical comforts (Matthew 8:20) and the frequent mistreatment He endured throughout His earthly ministry, finally He was seized by an angry mob carrying swords and clubs. He was positioned before a kangaroo court to face the accusations of false witnesses. He encountered the tirade of a raging High Priest who accused Him of blasphemy, and He had to hear the council’s condemnation to death. He had people spit in His face, beat Him, and strike Him with the palms of their hands as they mocked and taunted Him. He was bound and taken before the Roman authorities where He experienced the further humiliation of a jeering crowd who chose a notorious criminal over Him for release. He then suffered further indignities at the hands of Roman soldiers who stripped Him, pressed a crown of thorns down upon His head, spit on Him, and struck Him on the head with the reed they had made Him hold as a scepter. Finally, He endured the excruciating, horrifying death inflicted by a Roman cross, as passers-by blasphemed Him, shook their heads at Him, and taunted Him to save Himself. Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him. Where was God? Where is God when you or I hurt? Where is God when a Christian loses a child? He is right where He was when He lost His own Son.
Whatever suffering or hurt you or I may experience, pales in comparison to the hurt endured by our Lord. We need to remember: Sunday followed Friday. His suffering unto death provided an incredible result that you and I may share. “God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Must we hurt?
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was guile found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:21-23).
 In fact, Jesus was “made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death…that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” and, in so doing, He is able to “bring many sons to glory…for in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:9-10,18). Jesus suffered great hurt and harm, but He endured for us. May we endure for Him! We can and must be like Him. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

CONCLUSION

In Revelation 19, we are treated to a spectacular portrait. Heaven opens and out comes a white horse whose rider has three names: “Faithful and True;” “The Word of God;” and “King of kings and Lord of lords.” In righteousness, He judges and makes war. His eyes are flames of fire. He wears on His head multiple crowns, and his clothing has been dipped in blood. Protruding out of His mouth is a sharp sword. He rides at the head of the mounted cavalry of heaven. The Christians who were first given this awesome picture had been undergoing intense, excruciating pain and suffering. But neither they nor we can visualize this marvelous scene without coming to at least one undeniable conclusion: God knows when we hurt and experience untold pain and suffering; but He is there, He is with us, He will not abandon us, and we must continue to trust Him.
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From Jim McGuiggan... What keeps them hanging on?


What keeps them hanging on?

Steven Spielberg put Alice Walker's riveting book Color Purple on screen in an unforgettable way. The book's the triumphant story about a fine young girl who grows into a wonderful woman.
Young Celie's mother is worn out with bearing children and wants nothing to do with her second husband who then rapes his step-daughter at will. The mother dies resentful of defenseless Celie while the girl bears two babies; babies sold by the rapist step-father who berates his victim with her ugliness and "damaged goods" status.
Albert, a philandering neighbour, marries Celie so she can cook, wash and raise his kids for him. The abuse continues while Celie worries about her younger sister who is having to fight off the rapacious step-father. Nettie is the love of Celie's life and her dearest friend and when she flees the abusive man she comes to live with Celie only to be pursued by Albert. When she refuses to be dishonoured by him he throws her out. The broken-hearted little girl leaves the tortured and sobbing Celie, swearing that only death would separate her from her beloved sister.
The weeks become months and the months years without a word from Nettie. Celie, lonely, abused and unthanked, longs after her lost babies and the sister she now half believes to be dead. Or worse, half afraid that she's still alive but has forgotten her. Then she discovers Nettie has been writing her letters from Africa; letters her cruel husband had been keeping from her. The sister she loved and thought she'd lost was alive and well and, what's more, she still adores her sister. This gives the nearly broken Celie new life and strength and purpose. There was something--someone--in the world worth living for!
When her husband's lover, Shug, is leaving after visiting in Celie's home for quite a while, Celie summons up the courage to leave with her. The astonished Albert viciously insults and threatens her. "You'll be back," he says, "Shug got talent, she can sing, she got spunk, she can talk to anybody. Shug got looks. But what you got? You ugly. You black. You skinny. You shape funny. You too scared to open your mouth to people."
But as she's driven off in the car after years of crushing humiliation and while he spitefully raves from the porch, she triumphantly shouts back, "I'm poor. I'm black. I may be ugly, but dear God, I'm here!"
What keeps people hanging on?
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April 7, 2014

From Gary.... Trust


I saw this on facebook today and immediately knew I was going to put it on the blog.  Why? Well, it is both clever and useful. Then, I realized I had something even better- a memory.  About 11 or so years ago, I was headed for my second thyroid surgery and was felt quite discouraged about it. Then one of the chemists at my workplace quoted the following verse to me and I realized how foolish I was.  If L.L. ever reads this- THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!...
Psalm 20
  7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses,
but we trust the name of Yahweh our God.
Trust in God. Such a simple statement, but at times, so hard to do.  I know, I have been there. Yet it is amazing how a simple verse like this can rekindle trust.  Truth: God loves us and we need to trust HIM!!!  Everything on the list (except the Hugs and kisses) will eventually wear out, but The God of all creation will not.  Even when the last memory of every hug or kiss ever given is removed from the last person on earth, God will be there. And this reminds me of a passage from the book of Hebrews..
 
Hebrews, Chapter 1
 1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.  3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
 Trusting in God beats the contents of a plastic bag- doesn't it???
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From Gary... Bible Reading April 7




Bible Reading   
April 7

The World English Bible
 
Apr. 7
Numbers 5, 6

Num 5:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 5:2 "Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and everyone who has an issue, and whoever is unclean by the dead.
Num 5:3 Both you shall put male and female outside of the camp; that they not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell."
Num 5:4 The children of Israel did so, and put them out outside of the camp; as Yahweh spoke to Moses, so did the children of Israel.
Num 5:5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 5:6 "Speak to the children of Israel: When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Yahweh, and that soul is guilty;
Num 5:7 then he shall confess his sin which he has done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty.
Num 5:8 But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Yahweh shall be the priest's; besides the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him.
Num 5:9 Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.
Num 5:10 Every man's holy things shall be his: whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his."
Num 5:11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 5:12 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: If any man's wife goes astray, and is unfaithful to him,
Num 5:13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and is kept close, and she is defiled, and there is no witness against her, and she isn't taken in the act;
Num 5:14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she isn't defiled:
Num 5:15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory.
Num 5:16 The priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh;
Num 5:17 and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.
Num 5:18 The priest shall set the woman before Yahweh, and let the hair of the woman's head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse.
Num 5:19 The priest shall cause her to swear, and shall tell the woman, 'If no man has lain with you, and if you haven't gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.
Num 5:20 But if you have gone astray, being under your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband:'
Num 5:21 then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, 'Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;
Num 5:22 and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.' The woman shall say, 'Amen, Amen.'
Num 5:23 "The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.
Num 5:24 He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.
Num 5:25 The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the meal offering before Yahweh, and bring it to the altar.
Num 5:26 The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.
Num 5:27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people.
Num 5:28 If the woman isn't defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.
Num 5:29 "This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled;
Num 5:30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall execute on her all this law.
Num 5:31 The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity."

Num 6:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 6:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh,
Num 6:3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.
Num 6:4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.
Num 6:5 "All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
Num 6:6 "All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.
Num 6:7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head.
Num 6:8 All the days of his separation he is holy to Yahweh.
Num 6:9 "If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day he shall shave it.
Num 6:10 On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Num 6:11 The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day.
Num 6:12 He shall separate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.
Num 6:13 "This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting,
Num 6:14 and he shall offer his offering to Yahweh, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,
Num 6:15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings.
Num 6:16 The priest shall present them before Yahweh, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering.
Num 6:17 He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering.
Num 6:18 The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.
Num 6:19 The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation;
Num 6:20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.
Num 6:21 "This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation."
Num 6:22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 6:23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.' You shall tell them,
Num 6:24 'Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Num 6:25 Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you.
Num 6:26 Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.'
Num 6:27 "So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them."
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From Mark Copeland... Slow To Wrath (James 1:19-20) 

                         "THE EPISTLE OF JAMES"

                         Slow To Wrath (1:19-20)
                               
INTRODUCTION

1. In Jm 1:19-20 we find a trio of graces:
   a. "swift to hear"
   b. "slow to speak"
   c. "slow to wrath"

2. From the context, it appears that these admonitions are given in
   regards to our reception of the Word of God - cf. Jm 1:18, 21
   a. Therefore, they are qualities needed especially in times of trial
      when we need most the Word of God
   b. In other words, we need to humbly and calmly be receptive to what
      the Word of God has to say

3. In this lesson, I wish to concentrate our attention on the third
   admonition:  "slow to wrath"
   a. Especially in view of verse 20:  "For the wrath of man worketh not
      the righteousness of God."
   b. And also because "wrath" (and its close cousin "anger") are too
      often excused as "minor" sins

I. AN "OVERALL LOOK" AT ANGER AND WRATH

   A. DEFINING "ANGER" AND "WRATH"...
      1. ANGER - (Greek, "orge")
         a. "Indignation which has arisen gradually and become more
            settled" - THAYER
         b. "ORGE suggests a more settled or abiding condition of mind,
            frequently with a view to taking revenge" - VINE
         c. Anger, then, is a lingering, seething emotion
      2. WRATH - (Greek, "thumos")
         a. "The sudden outburst of passionate anger" - ZONDERVAN
            PICTORIAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BIBLE
         b. "The blaze of temper which flares into violent words and
            deeds, and just as quickly dies" - BARCLAY
         c. Today we would call this "blowing off steam"

   B. THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS OF WISDOM SAY MUCH ABOUT ANGER AND WRATH
      1. In the Psalms:  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not
         thyself in any wise to do evil. (Ps 37:8)
      2. In the book of Proverbs:
         a. [He that is] soon angry dealeth foolishly (Pr 14:17)
         b. [He that is] slow to wrath [is] of great understanding: but
            [he that is] hasty of spirit exalteth folly. (Pr 14:29)
         c. A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but [he that is] slow to
            anger appeaseth strife. (Pr 15:18)
         d. [He that is] slow to anger [is] better than the mighty; and
            he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
            (Pr 16:32)
         e. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou
            deliver [him], yet thou must do it again. (Pr 19:19)
         f. [It is] better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a
            contentious and an angry woman. (Pr 21:19)
         g. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious
            man thou shalt not go:  Lest thou learn his ways, and get
            a snare to thy soul. (Pr 22:24-25)
      3. In the book of Ecclesiastes:  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be
         angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. (Ec 7:9)

   C. THE NEW TESTAMENT ALSO SAYS MUCH AGAINST ANGER AND WRATH
      1. To the brethren in Rome, Paul wrote:  Dearly beloved, avenge
         not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is
         written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
         (Ro 12:19)
      2. It is included with those things Paul lists as the "works of
         the flesh" in Ga 5:19-21
      3. To the Ephesians Paul writes:  Let all bitterness, and wrath,
         and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from
         you, with all malice: (Eph 4:31)
      4. In a similar vein to the Colossians:  But now ye also put off
         all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication
         out of your mouth. (Col 3:8)

   D. HAVING SAID ALL THAT, WE MUST ALSO NOTE THAT...
      1. Paul seems to concede that there is a place for a certain kind
         of anger:  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down
         upon your wrath: (Ep 4:26)
      2. On several occasions Jesus expressed anger
         a. Towards the money changers in the temple - Jn 2:13-17
         b. Towards the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees - Mt 23:13-
            36
      3. In both testaments, God is presented as a God of anger as well
         as a God of love
         a. In the Old Testament:
            1) He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath,
               and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels
               [among them].   He made a way to his anger; he spared
               not their soul from death, but gave their life over to
               the pestilence;   And smote all the firstborn in Egypt;
               the chief of [their] strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
               (Ps 78:49-51)
            2) For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
               and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. 
               When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred
               Israel:  So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
               the tent [which] he placed among men;  And delivered his
               strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's
               hand. (Ps 78:58-61)
            3) Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his
               people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them,
               and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and
               their carcases [were] torn in the midst of the streets.
               For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand
               [is] stretched out still. (Isa 5:25)
         b. In the New Testament:
            1) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
               ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth
               in unrighteousness; (Ro 1:18)
            2) 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:  To them who by patient
               continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
               immortality, eternal life:  But unto them that are
               contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
               unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,  Tribulation and
               anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the
               Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  But glory, honour,
               and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew
               first, and also to the Gentile:  For there is no
               respect of persons with God. (Ro 2:4-11)

[How do we then reconcile those passages which demand that anger and
wrath is folly and something to be put away, with those that speak of
anger on the part of God, Christ and even the Christian?

A closer look may help provide the answer...]

II. A "CLOSER LOOK" AT ANGER AND WRATH

   A. CONCERNING THE ANGER OF GOD...
      1. God's anger is ALWAYS A JUST REACTION TO EVIL (as clearly
         pointed out in Ro 1:18-2:11
         a. Being Divine, and all-knowing, His wrath is NEVER MISGUIDED
         b. He is therefore capable of properly directing anger and wrath
      2. Man, with his imperfections, is not so capable!
         a. His anger is often misguided (through ignorance, misunder-
            standing, etc.)
         b. Haven't we ever been angry about something, later regretting
            it when we realize we were in error?
      3. Therefore, just because God may display wrath and anger, this
         does not necessarily justify man doing so!

   B. CONCERNING THE ANGER OF CHRIST...
      1. What has already been said of God could also be said of Christ
         a. Especially in light of His ability to read the hearts of
            men - Jn 2:24-25
         b. With such divine knowledge, He could not mistakenly direct
            wrath and anger
      2. Also, in the examples of His anger...
         a. There is nothing of self-interest
         b. Only HOLY ANGER against unrighteousness which is abhorrent
            to God
      3. He was angry, but only for God's honor!
         a. When personally abused, He said nothing - 1Pe 2:21-23
         b. But when it was against God, He displayed "righteous anger"
      4. Again, man with his imperfections often uses anger improperly
         a. For example...
            1) We remain silent when sin is exalted and GOD is dishonored
            2) But then get angry when someone offends US personally!
         b. Too often, therefore, what we justify as "righteous
            indignation" is really "SELF-righteous indignation"!

   C. CONCERNING THE ANGER IN EPHESIANS 4:26...
      1. Whatever our interpretation, it needs to be in harmony with the
         context
      2. Especially with what Paul writes just a few verses later: Let
         all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
         speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (Ep 4:31)
      3. I understand this passage, rather than justifying anger, to be
         directing us how to deal with it when it arises in our heart:
         a. First, "DO NOT SIN"
            1) The emotion must be CONTROLLED
            2) Don't allow it to manifest itself in a sinful way
            3) Such as saying or doing something that is wrong
         b. Then, "DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON YOUR WRATH"
            1) The emotion must be DISPELLED BEFORE NIGHTFALL
            2) Otherwise, we may be giving Satan ample opportunity to
               tempt us to sin - cf. Ep 4:27
      4. In view of what Paul actually says in Ep 4:26 and then later
         in Ep 4:31, it seems highly unlikely that he is justifying
         anger and wrath

CONCLUSION

1. Concerning the subject of anger and wrath, we would do well to take
   James' admonition to heart and to be "slow to wrath"

2. For though the "wrath of God" may on occasions accomplish the 
   "righteousness of God, it is clearly stated that the "wrath of man"
   does not:

   For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. (Ja
   1:20)

3. Following the example of Christ, there may be a place for anger, but
   if so, ONLY in things pertaining to the honor and will of God!

4. In all other things, we would do well to remember another admontion:

   And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto
   all [men], apt to teach, patient,  In meekness instructing those
   that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them
   repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  And [that] they
   may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken
   captive by him at his will. (2Ti 2:24-26)

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow
to speak, slow to wrath:" (Jm 1:19)

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From: Kyle Butt, M.A. ... Where Was God in Newtown, Connecticut?

  http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1589

Where Was God in Newtown, Connecticut?

by  Kyle Butt, M.A.

The events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 are, in every sense of the word, tragic. A gunman named Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children, six adults, himself and his mother in one of the most deadly school shootings in U.S. history. As is always the case when tragedies like this occur, various people and groups use the events to propel their agendas. In the past several decades, the atheistic community has used occurrences like this as “evidence” that a loving God does not exist. These atheistic writers and speakers contend that if there is a loving God, He would never allow a person to shoot 20 innocent children in cold blood. If there is a loving God, they claim, He would stop such a brutal killing. Since He did not stop it, either He does not have the power to stop it, or He is not a loving God who cares for innocent children. Either way, they suggest, the concept of a loving, all-powerful God such as the one portrayed in the Bible cannot exist in the face of such senseless brutality. “If there is a loving God, where was He on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut?” they demand. What can the Christian say in response to such reasoning?

Evil Did Occur—Which Proves Atheism Cannot be Right

It is a fact that the actions of the gunman were evil. He should not have killed 27 people and himself. Virtually every person who hears an account of his actions rightly understands that what he did was horribly wrong and evil. Yet, in a world without God, there is no way to contend that what he did was evil. Atheist Frederick Nietzsche understood this perfectly. He wrote: “We believe that severity, violence, slavery, danger in the street and in the heart, secrecy, stoicism, tempter’s art and devilry of ever kind—that everything wicked, terrible, tyrannical, predatory, and serpentine in man, serves as well for the elevation of the human species as its opposite” (2007, p. 35). You see, if humans are merely the product of mindless, random, naturalistic processes over millions of years, then how can any person claim to know that Adam Lanza did something evil. From where would the concept of evil originate if nature were all there is or was?
 Charles Darwin was fully aware of the implications of atheism and godlessness. He wrote: “A man who has no assured and ever present belief in the existence of a personal God or of a future existence with retribution and reward, can have for his rule of life, as far as I can see, only to follow those impulses and instincts with are the strongest or which seem to him the best ones (1958, p. 94). Thus, if there really is no God, then Adam Lanza was simply following the instincts and impulses that seemed the strongest to him. If other products of natural processes (humans) do not like what he did, they cannot say it was evil, or wrong, all they would be able to say is that they do not have those same instincts or impulses. And yet, the truth of the matter is, something evil, wicked, and wrong did occur. If that is true, there must be a God.
In a very famous statement, C.S. Lewis captured this thought perfectly when he wrote:
My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust...? Of course, I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too—for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies. Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist—in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless—I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality—namely my idea of justice—was full of sense. Consequently, atheism turns out to be too simple (Lewis, 1952, pp. 45-46, italics in orig.)
If something that was, in fact, evil, took place in Newtown on December 14, 2012, then there must be a God.

But What About the Children?

Once we establish the fact that the existence of evil does not militate against God’s existence, but actually establishes it, there is still the emotional question of how God could allow innocent children to die. In fact, it is often the case that atheists will attempt to draw attention away from the rational side of the discussion and argue from pure emotion. “How could a loving God let innocent children die?” they insist. Their contention is that God has, in some way, wronged the innocent children. Their allegation fails, however, when we understand the true nature of what has happened.
The Bible repeatedly stresses the idea that physical death is not complete loss, and can actually be beneficial to the one who dies. The Bible explains that every person has a soul that will live forever, long after physical life on this Earth is over (Matthew 25:46). The Bible consistently states the fact that the immortal soul of each individual is of much more value than that individual’s physical life on this Earth. Jesus Christ said: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
Although the skeptic might object, and claim that an answer from the Bible is not acceptable, such an objection falls flat for one primary reason: the skeptic used the Bible to formulate his own argument. Where is it written that God is love? In the Bible, in such passages as 1 John 4:8. Where do we learn that God is all-powerful? Once again, that information comes directly from the Bible, read Genesis 17:1. Where, then, should we look for an answer to this alleged moral dilemma? The answer should be: the Bible. If the alleged problem is formulated from biblical testimony, then the Bible should be given the opportunity to explain itself. As long as the skeptic uses the Bible to formulate the problem, we certainly can use the Bible to solve the problem. One primary facet of the biblical solution is that every human has an immortal soul that is of inestimable value.
With the value of the soul in mind, let us examine several verses that prove that physical death is not necessarily evil. In a letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul wrote from prison to encourage the Christians in the city of Philippi. His letter was filled with hope and encouragement, but it was also tinted with some very pertinent comments about the way Paul and God view death. In Philippians 1:21-23, Paul wrote: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (emp. added).Paul, a faithful Christian, said that death was a welcome visitor. In fact, Paul said that the end of his physical life on this Earth would be “far better” than its continuation. For Paul, as well as for any faithful Christian, the cessation of physical life is not loss, but gain. Such would apply to innocent children as well, since they are in a safe condition and go to paradise when they die (see Butt, 2003).
Other verses in the Bible show that the loss of physical life is not inherently evil. The prophet Isaiah concisely summarized the situation when he was inspired to write: “The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness” (57:1-2, emp. added). Isaiah recognized that people would view the death of the righteous incorrectly. He plainly stated that this incorrect view of death was due to the fact that most people do not think about the fact that when a righteous or innocent person dies, that person is “taken away from evil,” and enters “into peace.”
The psalmist wrote, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). Death is not inherently evil. In fact, the Bible indicates that death can be great gain in which a righteous person is taken away from evil and allowed to enter peace and rest. God looks upon the death of His faithful followers as precious. Skeptics who charge God with wickedness because He has allowed the physical lives of innocent babies to be ended are in error. They refuse to recognize the reality of the immortal soul. Instead of the death of innocent children being an evil thing, it is often a blessing for that child to be taken away from a life of hardship and evil influence at the hands of a sinful society, and ushered into a paradise of peace and rest. In order for a skeptic to legitimately charge God with cruelty, the skeptic must prove that there is no immortal soul, and that physical life is the only reality—neither of which the skeptic can do. Failure to acknowledge the reality of the soul and the spiritual realm will always result in a distorted view of the nature of God. “The righteous perishes…while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil.”

What Should We Do?

Our hearts are breaking for those in Newtown who have suffered such tragic loss. No words can adequately describe such emotional pain. But instead of allowing the skeptical community to use the evil actions of Adam Lanza to push people into the despair of atheism and unbelief, we should use this opportunity to encourage those in Newtown, and worldwide, to seek their God and Creator in times of trouble. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinthian: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). What can atheism tell the survivors?—that nothing evil was really done, and that their precious children have simply ceased to exist. Oh, how desperate. But what can Christianity offer those who mourn? We can acknowledge that evil was done, that innocent children were killed, but that their immortal souls are in paradise with their Creator. And that God offers all who will obey Him the opportunity to live forever. Thus, parents can be reunited with their children when the fleeting years of this brief earthly life are past. God, the God of all comfort, is the only One who can offer any hope or consolation in such a tragedy.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2003), “Do Babies Go to Hell When They Die?” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=1201.
Darwin, Charles (1958), The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, ed. Nora Barlow (New York: W.W. Norton).
Lewis, C.S. (1952), Mere Christianity (New York: Simon and Schuster).
Nietzsche, Friedrich (2007), Beyond Good and Evil, http://books.google.com/books?id=BAz7fkKhu30C&dq=%22We+believe+that+severity,+violence%22&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0.
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From Jim McGuiggan... Who would I die for? And so what?


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