"i invite YOU in": the ANGER difference

I’m angry! Yes, I really am! And guess what? It’s acceptable when your anger is a derivative of what angers God. And this was one of the many lessons Pastor Matt Stokes poured forth today to the community at Coastal Christian Ocean City (CCOC). It was a much-needed message that beats near, dear, and clear to the heart of God; especially as it is manifested in the life of Jesus.When do we see this emotion best in the life of Jesus? When His Father is being misrepresented in the way we—the church—manufacture faith (John 2:14-). And that is exactly what the religious outfit back in the day did, and that is exactly what the religious faction of today does.  And I’m guilty as charged when it comes to misrepresenting God above.  You see, just as Jesus had to enter the Temple and flip some stuff upside down in order to demonstrate His zeal for His Fathers House, so too does He have permission to do the same spiritual adjustment in the temple of my body.  He has to enter in from time to time to clean me out, lest I turn His Father’s House into a house of merchandise.  Nothing more than a flea market. And that is exactly what I become when I allow the accessory of faith to be the facade that blocks the redemptive force that comes with the access of faith. A disorganized flea market!But no more!I admit I was misrepresenting God and He wasn’t having it anymore. So, 4 years 7 months later in the upside down kingdom of prison—and having my upside down Christianity turned right-side up for Christ—now I am learning to discern what makes God’s heart burn. That’s iCONVICTION!One of the piercing questions that Pastor Matt asked the congregation in correlation with Jesus’ pure zeal was, “You see what consumed Jesus. So I ask you, what consumes you?”Seriously! I ask myself,  ‘what consumes me? What do I get up in arms for these days?’ And the answer to those questions is indicative to where I am spiritually.  I needed that message today and I thank Pastor Matt Stokes for being bold enough to confront pseudo-Christianity and the epidemic of “arms-length” Christianity. You have to get in close to touch a heart; and for the sake of community, that means to make God easily accessible through your example being legible!What angers you? What angers God? Now figure out the difference!