In Matthew 5:22, Jesus taught the following, But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell (NIV).
How many of us are 'guilty' of what He warned of? Have you been angry with a sibling? If not a sibling, have you been angry with anyone? Other Bible translations replace 'Raca' with the word 'idiot'. How many of us have used that term to refer to someone else? Or, even ourselves? What about the term 'fool'? Have we not used it more liberally than we should?
The Lord wants His children to do better. He desires that we allow His Spirit and word to steer us toward what pleases Him. He wants us to turn away from the sins that create distance between us and Him. Such sin includes anger, which can control our actions, thoughts, and words. However, if we let the Spirit of the Lord direct us, a guard develops over our mouths so we are more wary of what we say and how we speak about others. We also learn to guard our hearts because whatever we allow to blossom there will come out of our mouths (Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 18:20-21). If we permit something bad to grow, the fruits will be obvious in the negative things we say.
Jesus wants us to know that anger will bring God's judgment, so we cannot give it room to fester in us. If we do, we are sure to say or do something petty. Anger also increases the risk of insulting another human, and we are taught that the same mouth we use to praise God should not be used to curse in James 3:10. Keep in mind that the scripture doesn't say anger is permitted when someone irritates or even harms us. This is why we must be careful about what we say (and think). Our words can bring life, blessings, curses, and judgment (Proverbs 13:3). God will hold us accountable for every word that passes from our lips.
And we can't make excuses for our anger, saying things like, "God's still working on me." Yes, we are all works in progress, but we should never justify our bad behavior. Instead, we must repent for being angry and forgive those whose behavior or words bring that out of us. Jesus said there is no limit to how often we must forgive others in Matthew 18:22. Proverbs 19:11 teaches that we will be rewarded with glory for overlooking the things people have done to offend us. Plus, given how often we plead for forgiveness, we should surely extend that same grace to others, even forgiving them before they apologize. If not, we risk not receiving God's mercy (Matthew 6:12; Matthew 18:21-35).
Eliminating angry words from our lips is a good start, but not enough. Remember that we must discipline ourselves about what we think in our hearts as well. The Lord will help us to be cautious, and as we submit to His Spirit and His word, we will overcome anger and its consequences, IJN Amen.
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CLOSING PRAYER
God, You are great and greatly to be praised. I thank You for another opportunity to fellowship in Your presence. Thank You for grace, thank You for Your word. Thank You for Your great love!
Lord, You taught us a lot today. I pray that the lessons percolate through our inner being, taking root for Your glory. Father, indeed, set a guard over our hearts and help us set a guard over our mouths. May we obey You and be blessed, IJN, Amen.
oh, oh, oh
Good Shepherd
Lead me home
oh, oh, oh
Good Shepherd
I'm right where I belong
I belong here
LAST 10 MINUTES
Today, we learned that anger can lead to our judgment. We've learned that we need to repent for anger and forgive those who have angered us. We don't need to allow such anger and unforgiveness to blemish our hearts and create trouble we don't need.
Here is a prayer from 2022 on the issue of anger -
May the Lord help each of us to shed the spirit of unrighteous anger from our lives. May He grant us success in living righteously before Him so we receive the honor He has reserved for us, IJMN, Amen.
Listen, people will upset you and you may think you have every right to be angry with them. But, never forget that you have also done things that could have angered God. Instead, He has shown you and continues to show you His great grace and love. Despite your imperfections, you have life and an expectation of a future that He will bless. Please, forgive others even if they never seek forgiveness for their behavior. Let go of what they have done and let go of the anger it created in your spirit. Ask God for grace to forgive completely so that when the thought of that person comes to mind, you ask God to bless them instead of wallowing in negative emotions. And the day you cross paths with them, you'll smile and speak a kind word, knowing you are truly free.
Lord, grace and strength to let go of anger, frustration, and every other emotion that You have not planted in us. Uproot them, God. And thank You for giving us the spirit of self-control. IJN, Amen.
It is time to be in control of our emotions and thoughts. Then, we will be in control of what we say and do, instead of the opposite. And the more we grow in this capacity, the stronger our walk with God becomes.
The Lord bless you!
Oh oh oh oh
I worship in Spirit and Truth
Lord, we thank You for being our everlasting Father.
Lord, we place workplaces before You and call on You to remember the school where Ms. E's daughter works.
Father, the devil wants it to seem like Your presence cannot transform dysfunctional and toxic work environments.
But God we know that nothing is impossible with You. Jeremiah 32:17 - “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
We pray for the release of Your light into such places so that the enemy's plans are foiled. You are He who foils the devices of the crafty. Almighty God, put the plans of satan to steal, kill, and destroy at workplaces to shame. Let Your light go into the deepest and darkest places to redeem and bring Your victory, IJMN Amen.
Heavenly Father, I lift up sis @qvc, sis OD, and everyone else in this fellowship seeking a change in employment.
Father, You are the God who we call on to bless the works of our hands. Psalm 90:17 - May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.
Although satan claims it has authority, we know from reading Matthew 28:18 that all authority is in the hands of our Savior Jesus Christ. We also know that You have complete power over all that is in the Earth (Psalm 24:1).
As such, dear Lord, I call on You to show favor to Your children in their endeavors and to bless the works of their hands as they seek employment. Guide them toward the place You want them to be in and may they submit to and receive Your directions, to Your glory, and by Your grace, IJMN, Amen.
From JIR - I pray for all of Your servants sent by You, Lord, to remain obedient to You. I pray that You bless them exceedingly and abundantly for their obedience to You. I pray that You take them under Your wings and shield them, protect them and cover them from those who mean the harm or ill-will towards them. Please Lord bless them to be bold forceful and spread the good news of the kingdom of God with zeal. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - I pray for complete deliverance of Your people Lord. I pray for those who have surrendered and submitted their lives to You that You wrap them in Your love and assure them who You set free is free indeed. I pray for liberty over their lives and that You bless them with the boldness they need to war against the enemy. I pray that You stir their hearts to understand their identity in You and that they no longer struggle with their identity and their freedom. IJMN. Amen.
Prayer from sis FJ from November 2024 -
Lord in Jesus name I pray for those who cannot help themselves right now. Lord please hear their cries and consider the injustices that have been done against them. Lord there is a lot of corruption in this world which is causing problems for the innocent. You promise that You will arise and help them:
"If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be kindled" Exodus 22:23
"Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?" (Luke 18:7)
"He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. (dt 10:18)
You are the Lord, compassionate and gracious. God please send help quickly to deliver these people from the violent hands of their oppressors. Remember the tribes who are suffering health issues because of foreign oil spills on their land. Remember those who are being trafficked and otherwise exploited. Remember young people who are being taken advantage of and mistreated.
Please send angelic help to them and also release more resources to organizations here on Earth which are making a real impact.
From JIR - I pray for those who are stagnant in their walk with You, Lord. I pray that You fill their hearts with a new fire and zeal for You to come to know You again. I pray that You bless them with a fresh anointing to walk in Your ways. I pray that You draw them closer to You and open their eyes from the spiritual blindness so they can see and hear again. IJMN. Amen.
Lord, I want to thank You for all that You are doing in the lives of Your children. Thank You for blessing them. Thank You for placing them in the hands of Your Son. Your word states, and I take You at Your word, that nobody can snatch them out of His hands.
Father, it is for this reason that I come before You today to pray for the healing of Your children's minds. Lord, it is clear that many are struggling to take You at Your word and believe that they have the mind of Christ and were built in Your image. The devil is taking advantage of this lack of knowledge.
But no more. Lord, I speak over this gathering and state that in the name of Jesus, minds are set free from every shackle causing them to think less than the standard You have set. I speak and establish here on earth as in heaven by Your word, that chains fall and minds are returned to their proper setting. You are at the center of it all, and Your sheep are free for that was why Jesus came to earth - to destroy the works of satan keeping souls in captivity.
Thank You God for hearing my prayer. Thank You for I know that if You hear me then You have answered me. Lord, I give You all the praise. I hail You, my Redeemer. The God who is my Salvation.
Hallelujah!
PRAYER TIME
Let us pray for others.
Remember this is not the time to pray about your own needs.
God bless you as you do.
Great God, how excellent Thou art.
I give You praise for all that You are and all that You have done.
Keeper of His Covenant.
He who watches over His word to ensure it is fulfilled.
Hallowed be Thou Holy Name!
From JIR - “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Psalm 34:1 KJV
From JIR -
Heavenly Father, thank You for everyone who will encounter and participate with today's message in one way or another. Thank You for all whom You bring these messages to. May they encounter You and leave having tasted that You are good.
Hallelujah!
From JIR - You have opened my eyes to so much within the past week. I thank You Lord for the truth no matter how good or bad it may be. Thank You Lord for being there for me to lean on. Without You I would be hopeless and my life would be meaningless. You give me hope. You give me a future. Your love doesn’t stop and is immeasurable. I need You and can’t do life without You. You give me strength. Thank You Lord. IJMN. Amen.
From JIR - Thank You Lord for Your promise to never leave or forsake me. You are always there to calm my nerves and assure me that You are in the midst. I am nothing more than mere dust and am helpless and nothing without You. You give me everything I need and are slowly but surely taking away my wants and temptations in life. Only You make the impossible possible. Thank You Lord. IJMN. Amen.
Thank You, prayer-answering God.
Thank You for taking the time to listen to our cries.
Thank You for answering our petitions.
Thank You for being mindful of us, mere mortals.
You are Holy
Lord God Almighty
The earth is full of Your glory
Mighty Redeemer. Thank You for being the One who spared humanity from death and damnation in hell through Jesus Christ.
Thank You for the sacrifice You made when You let Him die on the cross in our place.
Glory be to You now and forever more, Amen!
PRAISE TIME
You ready?
You should be?
I've been dancing over here for over an hour as I worshiped and gave God praise.
Now, let's do it together, shall we?
Let's give our God our praises!!
Who is like You, oh Lord
Who is like You
Who is like You, oh Lord
Who is like You
The weight of who You are
No words can carry
Who is like You, oh Lord
Who is like You
From JIR - Thank You Lord for blessing us with another day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We would be nothing without them or You. I thank You Lord for guiding us all in here today to receive today’s word. I pray that we are blessed by it and retain and walk away with the jewels inlaid in today’s word. IJMN. Amen.
Thanks for today’s message sis @FFJ. As you mentioned we have all more than likely gone through being angry with someone at some point in our lives or are currently going through it now. The enemy is a sly serpent and I feel he is always using other people to affect our moods because depending on how we react God’s judgment can be upon us. It can be as simple as someone cutting us off at a traffic light or someone in our household eating something in the fridge that we had your heart set on eating. These things seem so foolish to get angry over but it happens all the time. Thank you for sharing the solution; repentance.
Also, I thank the Holy Spirit. He will let us know when we have sinned against God and convict us to repent and ask for forgiveness. He is our guide and thank God for Him. We would be so lost without Him. My demeanor and tolerance have changed so much thanks to the Holy Spirit working within me. Having patience is so critical in our walk with Christ in so many aspects and by God’s grace He is teaching me patience.
Thank you sis for also opening my eyes to the fact that we must forgive those we are angry at. That is a major part of the lesson. Just taming our anger is not enough. Wow. I needed to read that. If we don’t forgive then the Heavenly Father will not forgive us. That is so crucial. Very edifying. God bless you sis and I pray everyone is blessed by today’s message as well. IJMN. Amen.
From EC - Amen and good morning ladies!
ALTAR CALL
Christ died on the cross for all of humanity and you have the right to be free of everything that wants you bound. I was raised a Christian my whole life, and didn't know this. Sure, I heard stories that seemed fantastical, but once I met Jesus I realized there was so much more to learn.
For instance, I previously had no clue that simply being a Christian wasn't enough to make it to heaven. I didn't know that I needed the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit of God who rested on King David. The same One who came down as a dove and rested on Jesus enabling Him to do God's work on earth.
That same Holy Spirit is still valuable today and through Him, I'm coming to know Jesus and God better. The video below explains this and how to submit to Jesus so you receive God's Spirit.
If you watched the video to the end and say that prayer, then welcome to being a child of God! I pray you receive the Holy Spirit and are led in the ways of the Lord. Be sure to let me know you said the prayer and I'll send you more materials so you can grow as a new creature! Congrats and God bless you!