Empty Your Trash

How do you deal with anger?  Please don’t suppress it.  Allow me to illustrate why.

Picture a small trash container.  See it slowly filling up.  From time to time, it gets pressed down, but no one takes the initiative to empty its contents.  Over time additional trash is added, until finally the container overflows and creates a mess.  It simply cannot contain any more debris! 

That’s exactly what happens when we refuse to deal with anger.  We press it down, sometimes for years, when finally our lives become messy and solutions become difficult, if not impossible.  Tempers allowed to rage out of control usually culminate in failed relationships and even tragedy.

Examples of this unfortunate reality can be found throughout the Bible, but perhaps none more poignant than the first homicide in human history.  Genesis 4:3-8 records the events surrounding the death of Abel at the hands of his jealous, rage-filled brother, Cain.

“So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground.  Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions.  And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard.  So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.  Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry?  And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?  And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.’  Cain told Abel his brother.  And it came to pass about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

This brief account records the end results of unresolved anger.  Understand something.  This was not the first tryst these two brothers experienced.  The mood of the text suggests on-going disobedience on the part of Cain.  “So it came about in the course of time” (verse 4a).  Disobedience and the refusal of Cain to heed the voice of God resulted in insurmountable feelings of rage and anger.  In all likelihood, had Cain dealt with his initial anger toward Abel instead of “compacting his trash,” this murder never would have occurred.

To more completely understand the murder of Abel, we need to travel back several years to the Garden of Eden.  Initially and before the fall of Adam and Eve, these brothers’ parents – earth’s first parents – were untainted by sin.  After sinning, however, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness.  Their guilt drove them from God, and they hid themselves.  A guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside us that goes off when we’ve sinned.  The worst thing we can do is to eliminate guilt feelings without eliminating the cause.  It’s like using a painkiller but not addressing the disease.

What did Adam and Eve do?  They suppressed their guilt by performing the second religious act in the Bible.  The first religious act was the first couple acting on what the serpent said.  The second religious act came when Adam and Eve “sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Genesis 3:7).

The necessity of a blood sacrifice is foreshadowed in Genesis 3:21, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”  The writer to the Hebrews emphatically states, “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (9:22).  In all probability, as the boys grew to manhood, they repeatedly heard what God did for their parents regarding the animal skins.  So why did God accept Abel’s offering and not Abel’s?

It’s not that God dislikes vegetables!  He has always required the shedding of blood.  Evidently, Cain had been incorrigible since boyhood.  In the text we read where God gave him the chance to right his wrong and try again.  But Cain refused.  His life smacked of disobedience and rebellion against the revealed will of God.  God warned Cain about the consequences of not mastering the rage that mounted within:  “Sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you, but you must master it” (4:7).

What happened was the outcome of years of pent up anger.  “And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (verse 8).  Cain did not wake up one day and arbitrarily decide to kill his brother.  Unresolved anger is a cancer that gradually eats away the very core of a man’s cognitive processes and conscience. 

Unresolved anger, compacted by the years, culminated in rage, which led to murder – the first homicide in recorded history.  God warned Cain, but the angry brother did not master his emotional intake.

I beg you.  In the Name of the Lord, righteously resolve any anger you may be holding inside.  Don’t let your trash overflow!

  

Laughter is the Best Medicine

“A merry heart does good, like medicine…” (Proverbs 22:17)

I like to laugh, so I’m always looking for funny stories.  The following obituary, although in circulation for several years, still brings a chuckle or two.  Enjoy!

Pillsbury Dough Boy Dead at 71

Sad news today, so join me in remembering yet another great icon of the entertainment community.  The Pillsbury Dough Boy died yesterday of a yeast infection and traumatic complications from repeatedly being poked in his belly during his lifetime.  The veteran Pillsbury spokesman was 71.  Dough Boy is survived by his wife, Play Dough; three children, John Dough, Jane Dough, and Dill Dough; plus they also had one in the oven.

He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.  Services were held yesterday at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Dough Boy (DB) was buried in a lightly greased coffin.  Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch.  The gravesite was piled high with “flours.”

Longtime friend, Aunt Jemima, delivered the eulogy, describing DB as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.  DB rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. 

He was not considered a very “smart cookie,” wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes.  Despite being a little flaky at times, he was considered a role model for millions.  Toward the end, it was thought he would rise again but alas, he remained unleavened.

Disclaimer:  I don’t write this stuff; I just pass it on to you! 

Hooked on a Feeling

I came to faith in Christ when I was 14 years old.  And my life has never been the same.  The beloved hymn, Pass Me Not, still brings tears to my eyes, because it was the song of invitation when I “went forward.”  After my conversion, I ravenously and daily devoured God’s Word.  I remember lying across my bed weeping unashamedly because of the precious Holy Spirit’s tangible presence in my life.  Those were glorious days!

I read scores of Christian books that fed my spirit, and I listened to gospel music by the hour.  Dallas Holm, the Imperials, Evie Tournquist, the Happy Goodman’s, the Gaithers, and others impacted my worship experiences.  I wept when I could not go to church.  I loved the pastors God sent into my life. They were God’s gifts and mentors to me!

The television ministry of Rex and Maude Aimee Humbard from Akron’s Cathedral of Tomorrow became my weekly spiritual pick-me-up and staple.  I remember when Connie Smith sang Plenty of Time during a New Year’s Eve service in 1970 at the Cathedral, and I remember fighting the Holy Spirit’s convicting power.  Some months later I heard Maude Aimee sing, Sweet Nazarene, and my converted heart could not quit weeping! 

The call on my life to full-time ministry fortified during those years.  From ages 14-18, my spirit man was strengthened beyond description.  I attended the former Jefferson Assembly of God (now Covenant) on Sunday mornings; went to youth group at the Jefferson Church of the Nazarene on Sunday evenings; and frequently attended revival services at First Assembly of God (now Gateway) in Ashtabula.  I couldn’t get enough! 

During that time, I was introduced to Full Gospel Businessmen’s International (FGBMI), a ministry founded by the late Rev. Demos Shakarian, that facilitated the move of God, as thousands across denominational lines were baptized in the Holy Spirit.  I, too, received this wonderful gift of grace.  The Ashtabula chapter of FGBMI brought spiritual renewal to many county churches.     

Those were emotionally charged years!  God in His mercy allowed me to bask in the love and warmth of His abiding presence.  It was heaven on earth!  I grew to expect the emotional highs that seemed to accompany the born again experience. 

THEN I WENT TO COLLEGE (Christian)!  It was school time in more ways than one!  Of course, the Lord did not leave me, but He did withdraw the feelings that consistently characterized my faith walk, and that I had learned to so heavily rely upon.  I remember going to church and while there, not feeling the presence of the Lord one time! 

For six months the Lord withheld feelings – not His presence – from me.  I begged, bartered and even tried to work up the emotions I had learned to depend upon.  Those around me were weeping, shouting, clapping, and laughing in church, while I felt NOTHING.  You see, I had equated God’s presence with feelings and had learned to rely upon those feelings to sustain me in daily life.

It was time for me to grow up – spiritually speaking.  I had literally become “addicted” to my feelings.  I inadvertently adhered to a slogan, which came out of the Jesus Movement of the 1970’s:  “Get High on Jesus.”  Jesus literally became a “fix,” and the Lord taught me to walk by faith, not by my feelings. I continued to practice the disciplines of the faith – Bible reading, praying, church attendance – but without any accompanying feelings. 

Today, when I worship or go throughout my days, feelings are wonderful, but not necessary to my spiritual life; for I know that Jesus is with me regardless. 

Serving Jesus is not always a “feel good” experience, but I have learned to trust Him when I feel His presence AND when I don’t!  I’ve walked with Him for 47 years and I still love those hallmark times when “heaven kisses me,” but I no longer depend on an emotional high to assure me of God’s presence in my life.  He’s with me 24/7, whether I feel Him or not.  He remains ever present!

When It Rains, It Pours!

All of us experience those days when we face multiple challenges at the same time.  For example, I remember the time in Elyria when the hot water heater started leaking, the washing machine stopped working on the rinse cycle; the garage door opener malfunctioned and an attack of vertigo put me into bed – all within 24 hours.

When it rains, it pours! 

Such experiences stress us out and push us to our limits.   The showdown between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal recorded in 1 Kings 18 illustrates that God knew those times would come.  I love this wonderful story.   It provides a powerful object lesson of hope that’s ours to embrace during difficult days.  It’s somewhat lengthy, but well worth the read:

“Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you.  Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.’  So they took the bull given them and prepared it. 

‘Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. ‘Baal, answer us!,’ they shouted.  But there was no response; no one answered.  And they danced around the altar they had made.  At noon Elijah began to taunt them.  ‘Shout louder!’ he said.  ‘Surely he is a god!  Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling.  Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.  So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 

‘Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice.  But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.  Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come here to me.’  They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down.  Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, ‘Your name shall be Israel.’ 

‘With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.  He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood.  Then he said to them, ‘Fill your large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.’ ‘Do it again,’ he said and they did it again.  ‘Do it a third time,’ he ordered’ and they did it a third time. 

‘The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.  At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command.  Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You, Lord, are God, and you are turning their hearts back again.’ 

‘Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and even the soil; and also licked up the water in the trench.  When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord – He is God!  The Lord—He is God!’” (Verses 25-39)

After the prophets of Baal self-mutilated to catch the attention of their false god, Elijah continued to mock them unmercifully.  Then he did something that captures my attention every time I read this account.  He rebuilt the altar upon which he placed the sacrifice.  He commanded his associates to fill the trench around the altar not one time, not two times, but three times.  The sacrifice was drenched as well. 

Let’s pause there.

When life throws difficulties our way – one, two, three at a time – God promises us a way out!   The soaked sacrifice was devoured by the fire of God, along with the water in the trench and even the dirt!  God still makes a way through troubled times, and loves to demonstrate His power.  He is the Way Maker!