Well, you can probably tell from the title that I'm on the war path this week. I trust that all of you are having a better week than I am. You know there are just times when it's better for you (me) not to be around other people. This is one of those times. Bear with me today, Girls, I have a point...I promise, it just may take a minute to get to it! We prayed a couple of weeks ago for The Miracle. Can I please tell you, God showed up in a mighty way, as only He truly can! I praise Him for constancy, His ever-presentness and His overwhelming mercy on my husband and myself. Jeff is involved in a stupid and messy lawsuit, which I pray none of you ever have to endure. I am still praying for a miracle over the final outcome of this thing. My hissy fit is most likely a direct derivative of this lawsuit. As you can imagine, the stress level in my house, on a scale of 1-10 is hovering right around a 12.5 lately. It's wearing on me. My mood is incredibly sour and my temper is on (quite possibly) the shortest fuse in memory. I've had to do some serious soul-searching and praying and thinking to find the root of my problem. This is what I've come up with: I'm angry. But, not your every-day-run-of-the-mill anger. Oh no! This is a deep burning anger. I'm angry for my husband. Don't misread that...I'm not angry at him, I'm angry for him. You see, he is being treated horribly unfair and buried under a pile of garbage brought on by greed and a loyalty to the ways of this world, rather than to the way of the Light and Truth. This burning anger inside me...could, for lack of a better word, be classified as a righteous anger. I am not alone in a burning of this unique sort of anger. I want you to meet a couple of my friends.
First, I want you to remember my friend Moses. Recap: Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, through the parted Red Sea, and across the desert to the foot of Mount Sinai. That's where we meet up with him. About six weeks after the Israelites make their big and miraculous exodus from Egypt, they pitch their camp at the foot of Mount Sinai, so that Moses can go up and have a little visit with God. During this visit, God tells Moses of all He expects of His children. It is during this time that God, Himself wrote the Ten Commandments on the two stone tablets for Moses to take back down the mountain with him. Well, apparently God had a lot of things to tell Moses because he was up on that mountain for quite some time. When Moses and God were finished, Moses (in his eighty-something year old body) began to make the dissent down the side of Mount Sinai. As he approached the camp he heard noises coming from the people. Alarmed, he picks up the tempo to see what all the commotion is about. What he sees, astounds him. Read with me from Exodus 32:19-20 "When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it." Oh, he was hot! So hot in fact, did you notice what he did with the stone tablets that had been written on by the hand of God? He threw them on the ground and broke them. Hold that thought.
Fast forward a few thousand years to our friend Jesus. A little while after Jesus began His earthly ministry, He goes up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Read with me from the book of John as to what Jesus found when He arrived, "In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" John 2:14-16 Wow. Okay, a couple of different things going on in these two passages. First, did you see what Jesus did when he saw the horrible misdeeds that were filling the Temple? He was angry. So angry that He sat down, and made a whip so that He might drive out the vipers that had overtaken His Father's house. He made that whip. That act took some time. Then He used that whip to get rid of the riffraff that was in the way of true worship. Was He angry? You bet. Did He have a right to be? Absolutely. What's different about Moses and Jesus? Moses reacted to the situation at his hand. Jesus responded. Both men dealt with extreme abuses of worship, however the matter in which they responded were very different. Jesus, in His anger, did not sin. While Moses, didn't handle it in quite the same way. They did both get the job done.
Now, about my hissy fit. Have you ever noticed that you really don't "have a hissy fit"? Nope. When it's done right, you "throw a hissy fit". I threw my hissy fit in a big-over-the-top-way! As most of you would expect nothing less from me. I literally threw things in my house, I threw harsh and horrible words out of my mouth directed at those who are persecuting my husband, and I successfully managed to throw all of my energy into cleaning my house (which my husband was grateful for). My point is this: I have every right to be angry for my husband. However, I have no right to let loose my tongue, or refuse to check my temper. My attitude toward my children, my co-workers and even my poor husband should not reflect my anger. Moses was just plain mad that he couldn't leave the Israelites alone for a minute, lest they fall prey to idol worship. Jesus was angry at the extreme level of disrespect over the proper use of His Father's House, yet He didn't love the offenders any less. Me? Well, I'm just mad that someone has the nerve to think they can go after my man, armed with nothing more than arrogance and an idiotic attorney and get a way with it. Through all of that, I have no right to curse them or wish bad things for them. "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26-27 What about you? Do you feel a hissy fit coming on? Might I suggest that you sit down, think about what you are facing, and then take it to the Lord in prayer? Trust me, you'll feel better in the morning. He can help talk you off the ledge. Open your mouth to Him. The shadow of the Cross reaches far and wide. Stay tuned next week for an EXCITING announcement.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE!!!!!
The second annual Trinity Women's Conference is just "Dreamy" this year! Clear your calendar and grab some Girlfriends...you do not want to miss this event! We have invited Christian comedian Kerri Pomorolli (see www.kerripom.com) to entertain and enlighten us about life, laughter and the love of the Lord. What better way to shake the holiday hangover than to hang out with your best girlfriends discussing the Dreams you have and have had for your life? We are also throwing a 1970's twist into the mix, so don't be afraid to glam it up in "feelin' groovy"sort of way on Friday night! The doors open on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 6:30pm with Kerri taking the stage at 7:00pm. Remember, Girls this is a conference, not a retreat; so after the show on Friday go home and get a good night's sleep in your own bed! Rejoin us for more hilarity and insight at 8:30 on Saturday morning. Register now! Registration fees are $50 for basic admission and $65 if you would like to pre-order a conference t-shirt. Both prices include a delicious catered lunch on Saturday and snacks and beverages throughout the weekend. For questions or more details, please contact Dallas Louis at dallas@2bfaithful.org or 281-376-5773. Click on the link below to register!
https://trinitylutheran.wufoo.com/forms/dreams-conference/
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