DON'T NURSE WRATH OR FRUSTRATION

 

 After a month of celebrating Ramadan, in the Muslim calendar year. This week in the Christian church is known as holy week. On Friday, April 18, 2025, many Christians will celebrate Good Friday, which is in memory of the day Jesus Christ was crucified. 

On Sunday, April 20, many will celebrate Easter Sunday, or Pascha (Aramaic, Greek, Latin) or Resurrection Sunday. This Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary in 30 AD. 

 What does the term Easter mean? 

History is clear on this subject: Easter is not a Christian name as found in Acts 12:4. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name, as pronounced by the people of Nineveh. That name, as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar. The worship of Bel and Astarte was introduced into Britain early, along with the Druids, “the priests of the groves.” 

The festival, of which we read in church history under the name of Easter. In the third or fourth centuries, it was quite a different festival from that now observed in the Church today, and at that time it was not known by any such name as Easter. It was called Pasch, or the Passover, and though not of apostolic institution, was very early observed by many professing Christians, in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Christ. 

 That festival agreed originally with the time of the Jewish Passover, when Christ was crucified, a period which, in the days of Tertullian, at the end of the second century. That festival was not idolatrous, and no Lent preceded it. Back to the primitive church and even up until the fifth century, the observance of the forty days had no existence in the church. The forty days’ abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshipers of the Babylonian goddess. 

 “Such a Lent of forty days, “in the spring of the year,” is still observed by the Yezidis, or pagan devil worshipers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent of forty days was held in spring by the pagan Mexicans, for thus we read in Humboldt, where he gives account of Mexican observances: “Three days after the vernal equinox ... began a solemn fast of forty days in honor of the sun.” 

Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt, as may be seen on consulting Wilkinson’s “Egyptians.” This Egyptian Lent of forty days, we are informed by Landseer, in his “Sabaean Researches,” was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god.” 

 What lesson can we learn from the Easter Celebration? 

 Firstly, we see the demonstration of great love shown to us by God. Whereby God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.

Secondly, we learned that we should never become disappointed or complain when faced with trials or disappointments. At times of disappointment and uncertainty, many people give in to their feelings and do things at times of a low degree, which disgrace their lives after. Others with a resolute spirit gather themselves together and forge ahead against the disappointment and trials. If we become angry or frustrated when faced with disappointment and trials, we are given way to the spirit of the dark one, who is Satan. 

 In life, "many look at things on the darkest side, instead of the bright side. They magnify their supposed grievances, nurse their wrath or frustration, and are filled with revengeful, hateful feelings, when in truth, they had no real cause for these feelings... Today, if you are going to move ahead, you must resist these wrong feelings, and you will experience a great change in your association with your fellowmen. 

 When Jesus was sentenced to death, He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

Note the change of his perspective in the face of darkness and death. Whatever you are going through today, look to your God and resist your bad feelings. If you don't resist these feelings, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. This is because you placed your expectations on other people or things. As we all have the capacity for good and bad, so too is the capacity for our own flawed judgment. It's easy to project our high expectations onto other people, sometimes negating the low expectations we set for ourselves. 

 So, how do you overcome these feelings? 

The Bible encourages us to be slow to anger and frustration. In Proverbs 16:32, the Bible says, "He or she that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he or she that ruleth their spirit than they that take a city." 

 Did you know that Satan exults when he is enabled to set the soul into a white heat of anger or frustration! When one gives place to an angry spirit, they are just as much intoxicated as the man or woman who has put the glass of liquor to their lips. 

 Sadly, some of the same symptoms that occur through alcohol poisoning happen when a person is angry or frustrated. What is alcohol poisoning, and what are the symptoms? 

 Alcohol poisoning can happen when you drink alcohol faster than your body can process it. It can make you seriously ill, and you may need to go to a hospital for treatment. Some of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning are confusion, slurring words, or being unable to speak, being unable to coordinate movement, being unable to stand, walk, sick peeing or pooing yourself, pale or blue-tinged skin, irregular breathing, having a seizure, or loss of consciousness. 

 The Bible treats anger as murder. When you feel an angry spirit arising, take firm hold of God by faith. Utter no word. Danger lies in the utterance of a single word when you are angry, for a volley of passionate utterances will follow.... During this Passover season, may we be diligent to be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14. 

By GARDEN MINISTRY