Most of us have used that phrase a time or two.  Our knack for blaming others is hereditary.  I blame it on Adam and Eve   .  When we use that phrase we are actually implying that the other person has the power to get inside of us and "make us mad."  How convenient that our heart problem becomes their fault!  Anger is dangerous and we dare not treat it lightly.  We better not wait for somebody else to come along and make us "un-mad."  The only person that can deal with our anger is us and Jesus said we better get at it soon because it is the seed of murder.  It is time to "own" our heart response and understand the consequences of ignoring the seething and boiling nature of our anger.  The consequences of unchecked anger will not always be murder but Jesus said that murder is the logical conclusion of anger unchecked.  Jesus came to give us abundant life and living mad is not living abundantly.  Living mad does not reflect the nature of the One whose image we bear.  The apostles wrote things like, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you..." with good reason.  They were teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded.  They saw the good life and knew that anger was not a part of the life God intended.  Some people seem to have a shorter fuse than others but regardless of the length of your fuse, you need to know what Jesus said about anger and how to minimize it your heart.  We hope to see you Sunday as we study Matthew 5:21,22.

The Seventh-Day Adventists spent a fair amount of money this week distributing their book titled, “The Great Controversy.”  I was asked for a brief review and reminder from a member so here you go; perhaps this will save some of you time and energy so you can be reading something more profitable.

The first 166 pages of the book are about church history in general.  Remember however, the history of Christianity lies within the history of Christendom.  What I mean is that not everything recorded in “church history” is genuine Christianity.  There are many things that were done under the heading of the “church” that were not of Christ!

 Page 167 begins the true intent of the book; in a desire to validate their own movement the SDA identifies an American as a “Reformer”.  The man referred to may have been a genuine believer but I’m certain he doesn’t belong in the ranks of Calvin and Luther!   The rest of the book reveals the SDA’s attempt at a unique identity and it is essentially two-fold.  1) The study of the return of Christ and its timing and 2) what they refer to as “Sabbath reform.”   The SDA practically delight in being persecuted for their position on these matters making it their “identity.”  Most of you probably know they also delve into other aspects of the ceremonial laws of Moses suggesting various levels of food restrictions etc.  Jesus and the apostles both made it clear that food is not an issue…the heart is the issue!

In my estimation the SDA misses the main point of Great Commission Christianity.  Our primary identity as believers today is not about meticulous rehearsal of end time events nor is it to be the “worship of a day of worship.”  Believers today are to be concentrating on “conforming to the image of Christ.”  All these other teachings promoted by the SDA are secondary matters (and some are non-matters) that miss the main point of the gospel.  I am not suggesting that people within the SDA are not believers.  I am confident however that the main point of the book you may have received is not the main point of the Christian faith.  The last two paragraphs of chapter 40 are a good start to the main point, but the rest of the book is likely a waste of time…unless you have some time to waste J.  And if you have a “waste-basket”, well…