I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Bible has a great deal to say about anger. Anger is, after all, not only a result of sin but also a common cause of sin. Here is what the Bible has to say:

It is good to be slow to anger. Those who are quick to anger display a lack of wisdom.

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. (Proverbs 14:29)

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. (James 1:19)

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

Anger should be addressed as soon as possible because it can easily turn to sin.

The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment …. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:21-24)

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. (Ephesians 4:26)

Though at times anger can be righteous (see especially Mark 3:5 where Jesus becomes angry), anger is generally to be avoided.

For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish--that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. (2 Corinthians 12:20)

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20)

I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Here are some of the notable books that I've received in the past few weeks.

Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian. “In this world, one thing is certain: Everybody hurts. Suffering may take the form of tragedy, heartbreak, or addiction. Or it could be something more mundane (but no less real) like resentment, loneliness, or disappointment. But there's unfortunately no such thing as a painless life. In Glorious Ruin, best-selling author Tullian Tchividjian takes an honest and refreshing look at the reality of suffering, the ways we tie ourselves in knots trying to deal with it, and the comfort of the gospel for those who can't seem to fix themselves--or others. This is not so much a book about Why God allows suffering or even How we should approach suffering--it is a book about the tremendously liberating and gloriously counterintuitive truth of a God who suffers with you and for you. It is a book, in other words, about the kind of hope that takes the shape of a cross. (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

The Glory of Grace: The Story of the Canons of Dort by William Boekestein. This excellent series for kids continues. “An important confession of the reformed churches for hundreds of years, the Canons of Dort teach clearly that salvation is by grace alone through Christ alone. yet some people may find it an intimidating document and wonder why it was even written. In The Glory of Grace, William Boekestein and evan hughes help our children understand the difficult challenges the churches in the netherlands faced in the Arminians distortion of the gospel message. in this story about the Synod of Dort (1618), children will learn about the history and ideas that formed the Canons of Dort and come to a greater appreciation of this great treasure of the reformed faith and its emphasis on the glory of god in graciously saving sinners.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

When Your Husband Is Addicted to Pornography by Vicki Tiede. “When your husband’s addiction to pornography leaves you shattered, betrayed, and alone, where do you turn? Who do you turn to? Vicki Tiede, writing from personal experience, gently guides women toward God and away from despair. Through daily readings and questions on six important topics: hope, surrender, trust, identity, brokenness, and forgiveness, you will grow in healing and hope. Allowing God to meet your greatest needs is a long and learned process, but he promises to help you every step of the way. Questions and daily readings are suitable for both individuals and small groups.” Sadly, this is a much-needed book. (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

I've been at this blogging thing for ten years now and have been at the daily blogging thing for almost as long. This means that I've got an extensive backlist of articles from years gone by. I thought it might be fun to pull out some of the articles I wrote in previous months of October, stretching all the way back to 2004.

2011

My Halloween Theory - Last year I shared a theory about the growing popularity of Halloween.

This is a four-part series on the will of God:

1. How to Know the Will of God
2. How Does God Speak to Me Today?
3. God’s Will for Your Life
4. How Do I Make Decisions That Please God?

2010

How I Got Here, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 - This is a three-part biographical series.

The Heart of Frugality - I needed to think about frugality and this is what I came up with.

2009

Teachers, Watchmen, Gatekeepers - This reflects some of my thinking on the role of parents in the lives of their children.

Applying the Heat - An article about accountability relationships.

2008

The Moral High Ground - Thinking about abortion where the pregnancy was caused by rape.

The Burden of Perverse Assumptions - Lincoln and Speed, Sam and Frodo, and the burden of perverse assumptions.

2007

Halloween - Trick or Retreat? - Apparently I’ve done quite a bit of thinking about Halloween.

Bringing Life to the Living - One of my pet peeves is when people claim that their new book or new program will bring the Bible to life.

2006

The Folly of Solomon - How the wise became foolish.

I Don’t Need a Boyfriend - I had just read a John Eldredge book…

2005

Unity Through Theology - Doctrine divides? It shouldn’t.

The Extraordinary Value of Women - I claimed that no system of religion exalts women higher than biblical Christianity. 

2004

Tim - I had forgotten all about the day Aileen hijacked the blog.\

I love writing book reviews and I love reading them. Since I cannot possibly read and review all of the interesting books out there, I publish occasional round-ups of reviews written by other writers. Or even if I am able to review the book, it's always good to get a second opinion. So here are a few notable links I've collected over the past few weeks.

Gospel Deeps by Jared Wilson

Reviewed by Mike Leake. “Gospel Deeps is a risky book. I say that it is risky because it is not immediately practical.  There are not 10 steps to ‘going deep in the gospel.’  There is no immediately practical advice for living out the Christian life. Neither does this book make any shockingly new insights; it is not revolutionary in that sense.  The point of the book is not to help you change your church, reconsider your theology, or inspire you with newfound truth. All Jared Wilson does in Gospel Deeps is hold up an infinitely precious jewel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and call us to marvel along with him.  That's risky.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

Tempted and Tried by Russell Moore

Reviewed by Mike Wittmer. This is one of my all-time favorite books; Wittmer liked it as much as I did. “Moore's book reads like a sermon series on the temptations of Christ, with numerous memorable lines and extended commentary on contemporary church and culture. I think anyone who is planning to preach on temptation and sin in general or Christ's temptations in particular should read this book. Also anyone who is planning on sinning. …Moore's book is simply theology the way it's supposed to be. You may not agree with every one of his points, but you'll be better off for having read his book (assuming you apply the points that convict you, and unless you've completed Wesley's steps to Christian perfection, I'm sure you'll find more than a few).” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

The Work of Christ by R.C. Sproul

 Reviewed by Aaron Armstrong. “Rather than trying to be the final word, The Work of Christ serves as a starting point for greater study. Sproul doesn't expect readers to just take his word for the importance of each of these events, nor does he provide extensive overviews of each subject--he expects readers to study for themselves. From beginning to end, from incarnation to return, the work of Christ is necessary for our salvation and our growth in Christ. This is a subject we must study thoughtfully and apply well. The Work of Christ offers readers--whether individuals or small groups--a wonderful starting point. I trust that you'll be blessed as you see just how important all the events of Jesus' life are for you.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

This is the tenth installment in a series on theological terms. See previous posts on the terms theology, Trinity, creation, man, Fall, common grace, sin, righteousness, and faith.

Pride is the chief of all sins, as well as the chief cause of all sin. We learn from the prophet Ezekiel that this was the most essential problem with Sodom (16:49-50), and Paul teaches us that this is the sin that brought condemnation on the devil himself (1 Timothy 3:6).

C. S. Lewis identifies the unique place of pride among sins in chapter 8 of Mere Christianity::

According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

As Lewis describes it, pride is an “anti-God” state of mind. It is a state of mind or, more essentially, a condition of the heart in which a person has supplanted the rule of God over their lives with the rule of their own will. Instead of depending entirely on God, as was God’s design, a proud heart now looks to itself to decide what is good and evil (see Genesis 3:4-6).

Most essentially, pride is an attitude of independence from God. It is synonymous in Scripture with being haughty, scoffing, arrogant, foolish, evil, and wicked (Psalm 10:4; Proverbs 8:13; Isaiah 2:11, etc.). It is directly opposed to the humble, God-fearing, meek, lowly, trusting, faith-filled disposition that is pleasing to God; its end is destruction.

For the LORD of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up--and it shall be brought low;
… the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low,
and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
(Isaiah 2:12, 17)

I love writing book reviews and I love reading them. Since I cannot possibly read and review all of the interesting books out there, I publish occasional round-ups of reviews written by other writers. Or even if I am able to review the book, it's always good to get a second opinion. So here are a few notable links I've collected over the past few weeks.

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. Reviewed by Jesse Johnson. “The Harris brothers point out that this expectation of worthlessness has produced years of wasted potential. In their book, Do Hard Things, they expose this culture of mediocrity as the teenager's enemy. They make it clear that the victims in this are teens who squander their first opportunities in life to excel -- to do things that count for eternity. … I would recommend this book be given high school students, and the younger the better. It could be a good graduation gift, but at that point the thrust of the book would already be in a person's rear-view mirror. It is more suited for freshman. Those who read it will be challenged to escape the trappings of modern-American adolescent mediocrity.” (Learn more or at shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Talking with Mormons by Richard Mouw. Reviewed by Kevin DeYoung. “At the most basic level, Mouw wants evangelicals to approach Mormons in a whole new way. While I think he rightly critiques one approach; his new approach is not the answer. Mouw criticizes the sort of approach that starts with an assumption that Mormons are some combination of stupid, evil, imposters, and charlatans and then offers the usual anti-Mormon talking points (God doesn't have a body, Jesus and Lucifer were not brothers, Joseph Smith was nuts, early Mormons were polygamists, etc.). He is right to call evangelicals to a better way. But Mouw's way is not it. ”

Erasing Hell by Francis Chan and Preston Sprinkle. Reviewed by David Steele. “Chan and Sprinkle serve up an impressive number of arguments that bolster the case for hell and provide a rational, biblical defense of this important doctrine.  While Erasing Hell is written with the laymen in mind, it is not simplistic.  Nor is it compromised in any way.  The authors do not claim to have all this answers, which may appeal to younger readers more inclined to postmodern literature.  Rather, they merely spell out the basics of the biblical doctrine.” (Learn more or shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

As long as there have been notebooks and index cards, Christians have been using them as a means of organizing their prayer requests. Without some form of organization, most of us pray only for what is urgent, leaving out those things that do not so easily come to mind. With mobile phones and other digital devices has come a wave of apps that seek to take the place of notebooks. Here are three iPhone apps that are meant to assist in prayer.

PrayerMate

PrayerMate is an app I have been using for some time now. Its goal is to organize your prayer life in a straightforward and distration-free way. “Every day, PrayerMate will select a person or topic that you’ve entered from each of your main categories (perhaps ‘My family’ or ‘My small group at church’) and show them to you as a series of index cards.” You simply swipe between those cards as you pray. Its features include an index card interface that lets you swipe between the day’s topics; a way to set up your own categories and subjects to suit the way you pray; coordination with your address book contacts; photos that can be attached to prayer points, and a daily reminder to pray. A simple and straightforward app, it costs $2.99 and has native iPhone and iPad versions.

Prayer Prompter

Prayer Prompter is “like a two drawer file cabinet. The top drawer is where you store Scripture passages and devotional material, organized by topic in folders. The bottom drawer is where you store prayer requests for yourself and others, while they are still fresh in your mind, and where you can find them when you are ready to pray.” It usually costs $2.99 but for a short time the developer has made it available for free. It is currently available only for the iPhone, though an iPad version is expected in the near future.

You can read an introduction and receive a guided tour here.

Prayer Notebook

Prayer Notebook is the most basic and perhaps the most “Apple-ish” of the apps in its design and functionality. It comes in both a free, Lite edition and a full-featured edition that costs $1.99. “Designed to be your personal prayer assistant, you can use Prayer Notebook to: Focus on intentional prayer in fullscreen mode; group prayers into categories; SMS or email contacts when you have prayed for them; Tweet what you are praying for; schedule prayers daily, weekly, or for a specific day; set an alert for prayers to remind you to pray; mark prayer requests as answered.” The basic features allow it to be used however you would like to use it, without forcing a particular kind of organization. While the app will run on iPad, it is native only to the iPhone.

I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Here are some of the notable books that I've received in the past few weeks.

Center Church by Timothy Keller - “Many pastors struggle to translate their theological beliefs into fruitful ministry in the places they are called to reach. It’s not enough to simply know what to believe (theology) or, on the other hand, how to do ministry (methodology)–they need something in between. They need help thinking about ministry in a culture that no longer believes Christianity is a force for good, let alone the source of ultimate revealed truth in the person of Christ. Center Church, a collection of twelve essays by Timothy Keller, outlines a theological vision for ministry that is organized around three core commitments: * Gospel-centered: The gospel of grace in Jesus Christ changes everything, from our hearts to our community to the world. It completely reshapes the content, tone and strategy of all that we do. * City-centered: With a positive approach toward our culture, we learn to affirm that cities are wonderful, strategic and underserved places for gospel ministry. * Movement-centered: Instead of building our own tribe, we seek the prosperity and peace of our community as we are led by the Holy Spirit.” (Learn more and shop at Westminster Books or Amazon)

Hagaii, Zechariah, and Malachi by Andrew Hill - “Despite the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian exile, selfishness, apathy and despair crippled their community spirit. In response to this distress, God raised up three prophetic voices in Jerusalem. Haggai rallied the people to rebuild the Second Temple. Zechariah was given visions of the return of the glory of the Lord to Zion. Malachi preached repentance, covenant justice and restoration of proper temple worship. Andrew Hill’s excellent commentary on these oracles shows how they remain timely for the Christian church's worship and mission in the world.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

A Little Book for New Theologians by Kelly Kapic - “Whenever we read, think, hear or say anything about God, we are doing theology. Yet theology isn’t just a matter of what we think. It affects who we are. In the tradition of Helmut Thielicke’s A Little Exercise for Young Theologians, Kelly Kapic offers a concise introduction to the study of theology for newcomers to the field. He highlights the value and importance of theological study and explains its unique nature as a serious discipline. Not only concerned with content and method, Kapic explores the skills, attitudes and spiritual practices needed by those who take up the discipline. This brief, clear and lively primer draws out the relevance of theology for Christian life, worship, mission, witness and more. ‘Theology is about life,’ writes Kapic. ‘It is not a conversation our souls can afford to avoid.’” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

I've been at this blogging thing for quite a long time now--it's coming up on ten years. I've been at the daily blogging thing for almost as long. This means that I've got an extensive backlist of articles from years gone by. I thought it might be fun to pull out some of the articles I wrote in previous months of September, stretching all the way back to 2004.

2011

Spiritual Abuse and More on Spiritual Abuse - This has become quite a big topic in the church today.

Honor, Respect & Taxes - It’s one thing to pay taxes; it’s another to respect the ones who levy them.

2010

What I Hate About Blogging - I must have been having a bad day.

On Being a Dad - I love being a dad (most of the time).

2009

The Truth About Canadian Health Care - Don’t let them tell you otherwise. We aren’t doing too badly up here.

On Visiting Saddleback Church - About the time I visited Saddleback and met Rick Warren.

2008

Calvinism and Evangelism - What we are to do and what we are not to do in evangelism.

Who Shapes Your World? - It’s always a little disappointing to see who TIME chooses as the people who are shaping our world.

2007

Spoilt for Choice - This was one of the seeds that eventually grew into The Next Story.

Bludgeoning with Providence - There is a way Christian leaders try to convince you they know God’s will for your life.

2006

It Is Good to Thirst - Yes it is.

Planned Neglect - There isn’t room for everything, so you need to plan to neglect something.

2005

The Enemy Next Door - This was an important one to me back when I wrote it.

The Infinite Value of Scripture - This is an old favorite. I think the metaphor made it into one of my books.

2004

Worshipping the Seeker - There are quite a lot of articles like this one in the early days of my site; in those days I was at a seeker-sensitive church and just starting to understand what that meant.

Today marks the release of Gravity, the newest project from Lecrae, the most prominent of the Christian rappers. I received an advance copy of the album and, being entirely underqualified to judge or review it, sat down with my friend Sope (a.k.a. Spoken whom you may remember as my co-conspirator in The Middle-Aged White Guy’s Guide to Christian Rap) as he gave it a listen. He gave me a song-by-song breakdown and summarized the album like this:

True to his reputation, Lecrae delivers yet another solid project that is both rich in truth and yet culturally relevant. In recent years, Lecrae has garnered the attention of prominent ears in mainstream music and with that in mind, the most impressive thing about this project is his ability to remain militant in his profession of faith. Having observed many professed Christians wither away in their profession after gaining mass appeal, we were all concerned as Lecrae’s platform continued to reach new heights. Lecrae himself realizes the precarious balance he has to maintain in being a light in such a sin-infested genre, yet without succumbing to the too-typical Christian clichs (churchy, judgmental, etc). Listening to this project, it is clear that Lecrae is beginning to embrace the unique position God has given him, and that he is learning to better execute the responsibilities. His songs are bold and biblical, yet gritty and gutter. His message in unapologetically presented in a fashion relevant to the culture. His confidence as a believer does not appear to be shaken in the slightest.

In sum, when Lecrae set out to make Gravity, he intended to bring some weight to bear on the matters of life. His aim was to jolt the unbelieving world out of their drunken haze and the believers out of their aloof comfort. He has accomplished that with this project. The unbelieving world will find it challenging, as will the believing community.

Sope’s top tracks are “Free From It All,” “Falling Down,” “Fakin’” and “Mayday.” And for what it’s worth, I’m right there with him. This is a bold and powerful album that asks better questions and provides better answers than what you’ll find anywhere in the hip-hop mainstream.

Light for the Lost Boy - Andrew Peterson is to the world of acoustic music what Lecrae is to Christian rap. Peterson’s latest album released just one week ago. “Ever since Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, it’s happened to everybody—eventually we all cross the threshold from innocence to heartbreak. Pulsing with the hurt of the human condition, Andrew’s music also captures the beauty, hope, and love of God’s redemption in ‘Come Back Soon,’ ‘The Cornerstone,’ ‘The Ballad of Jody Baxter,’ ‘The Voice of Jesus,’ ‘Carry the Fire,’ and more.” Here is how Christianity Today describes the album:

Peterson delivers with maturity that mostly avoids the clich and sentimentality of adult contemporary radio, though “Rest Easy” and “The Voice of Jesus” tilt slightly to that direction. But he mostly avoids the shortcuts of a three-minute pop song. Instead Peterson draws us deeper into the yearning where life and love are savored against their unavoidable losses--and where glowing hope always remains.

Grace Alone - Grace Alone comes from The Modern Post and the Mars Hill Music label. “The Modern Post, one of the bands at Mars Hill Church Orange County, are known for their upbeat, synth-laden and bass-heavy sound that leads the congregation to praise the creator with freedom and joy. Their name connects to the idea of how the Gospel is news to be declared, with content that is relevant and current regardless of what era one is living in.”

The band's sound was not one that was originally planned for. In Dustin's words, "it happened". Having the perspective that much worship music can be overly sentimental, they choose to push against that by creating music that is celebratory and upbeat. As a result, The Modern Post's sound is one that bespeaks robust joy, and leads people to exult in the good news that Jesus is relevant for all generations.