Welcome to the Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Class. I am Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society and pastor of Gospel Light House of Prayer International. The purpose of this time together is to teach young believers everything they need to know about their faith in Jesus Christ and provide them with the knowledge they need to live victorious Christian lives.
Our key Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
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Our lesson today is titled “How to Overcome Temptation, Part 106 (Anger and Wrath)”
In this section of our Onward Christian Soldiers discipleship class, we are looking at specific temptations that are, as the Bible says, “common to man.” We are looking at what the Bible says about these sins so we can be aware of its dangers and so that we can hide Scripture in our hearts to use when we are tempted.
The sin that we are looking at today is the sin of anger and wrath. This is the fifth sin in a list of 12 temptations that comes from two sources — one ancient and one modern. The first source is a list that was developed by monks in the early church called “the seven deadly sins” or the “cardinal sins.” The second source is a Barna survey from 2011 which tracked the top temptations Americans admitted to struggling with.
Today, we are looking at Proverbs 19:11. (Remember, the text of this lesson is made available online after each class, so you can go to our website Gospellighthouseofprayer.com, click the “Onward Christian Soldiers” banner on the home page, and begin to learn these verses by heart throughout the week.)
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
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Adam Clarke said, “A wise man, off his guard, may feel anger for a moment; but in him it cannot rest: it is a fire which he immediately casts out of his breast. But the fool — the man who is under the dominion of his own tempers — harbors and fosters it, till it takes the form of malice, and then excites him to seek full revenge on those whom he deems enemies.”
At its heart, the book of Ecclesiastes is a discourse on the vanity of life. However, while the book is often characterized as wholly negative or “down,” the Wise Preacher did not fail to draw positive conclusions and give positive instructions along the way. He made a distinction between life pursuits that are vain and those that are worthwhile. He pointed out the difference between that which is wise and that which is foolish. Among the things he noted as foolish is anger. “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry,” he writes, “for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
The Hebrew word translated as “resteth” means to settle down and remain. It means to reside in. According to a study published in the journal, Behavioral Sciences & the Law, about 9% of American adults — roughly 22 million people — have serious anger issues that can lead to violent behavior. Another study indicates that at least a quarter of the population worries about how angry they often feel. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes touches on this issue of chronic anger in this verse.
Anger should not be a ready or default response. This is not just about physical actions or even our words; it’s a spiritual matter. Anger should not be resting in our bosom — the deepest part of us — our heart, our mind, our soul. Only fools nurse the flame of anger, allowing it to foster and grow into something that will burst out in the future. Mark Dunagan said, “Consider the close connection between pride and anger. Humility and patience is a great check against selfish and sinful anger. This should make us seriously reevaluate our own anger. Often what triggers an angry response isn’t righteous indignation, rather it is when our pride has been seriously humbled or put in its place. The fool is a person who cherishes and nourishes such anger.”
Let none of us be as the fool described in this passage. Let us refuse to let anger rest in our hearts and in our lives. Let us be, as another wise preacher said, “swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
If you struggle with anger or wrath, take this passage to heart and begin to use it the next time you face that temptation.
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If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Until next time, May the Lord Bless You!
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 