Dr. Les Carter thoughts paraphrased:
Critical people enjoy being insulting!
Critical people will judge us as the problem.
Critical people don't want our input.
Critical people do not have an understanding spirit and their words are empty. A critic sees no need for understanding anyone else.
We are not required to play along with the critics insults or to engage with them at all when they are insulting.
Do not react to anything, do everything with reasoning and understanding.
My thoughts on this were:
When we pay little to no attention to our emotions and reason things out we most often will not react but will respond Biblically.
When we know the enemy, are deeply rooted in the Word of God and looking to Christ instead of to self we will not be very concerned about how we are treated, but more about how we are demonstrating the principles of God in our responses or lack of responses.
God has given us some very specific ways to respond to injustice all we have to do is read His Word and pray that the Holy Spirit give us the understanding.
James 1:5 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Hearing God's Voice
In recalling our visit to Israel a few years ago I am reminded of the encounter we had with a flock of sheep and goats. The animals were behind a large pen. As I walked up to the animals I could not resist petting them. They were walking away from me as I was calling out to them in English.
The shepherd who was standing near the pen, a very young man very middle eastern looking was watching me. I called to the sheep a few times but they ignored me. Then suddenly the shepherd called out to them in Hebrew and the sheep came running back to where we were.
The sheep knew his voice and came without hesitation. Later as the shepherd took them from the pen and walked them down the long path they were jumping all around him, bleating and running to keep up with him. You see, those sheep and goats knew their shepherd and loved to be with him.
It occurred to me then that God allowed me to see what it looked like to be a child of God, able to know the voice of the Great Shepherd when others in the sound of His voice do not hear or understand Him.
As I watched how excited the sheep and goats were to be with their shepherd when he called and ran after him when he walked away, I was struck with how our walk with Christ should be. We ought to be anxious and ready to search for Him, His heart, His will in the pages of His Book the Bible as well as in prayer to hear from Him.
We would never be confused about anything if we are patiently waiting for His answers. When we don't understand we know He has a purpose and eventually will reveal to us all that we need to know.
John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
The shepherd who was standing near the pen, a very young man very middle eastern looking was watching me. I called to the sheep a few times but they ignored me. Then suddenly the shepherd called out to them in Hebrew and the sheep came running back to where we were.
The sheep knew his voice and came without hesitation. Later as the shepherd took them from the pen and walked them down the long path they were jumping all around him, bleating and running to keep up with him. You see, those sheep and goats knew their shepherd and loved to be with him.
It occurred to me then that God allowed me to see what it looked like to be a child of God, able to know the voice of the Great Shepherd when others in the sound of His voice do not hear or understand Him.
As I watched how excited the sheep and goats were to be with their shepherd when he called and ran after him when he walked away, I was struck with how our walk with Christ should be. We ought to be anxious and ready to search for Him, His heart, His will in the pages of His Book the Bible as well as in prayer to hear from Him.
We would never be confused about anything if we are patiently waiting for His answers. When we don't understand we know He has a purpose and eventually will reveal to us all that we need to know.
John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Romans 2
The Impartiality of God
"2 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.
3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who will render to each person according to his deeds:
7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God."
"12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having [o]the Law, are a law to themselves,
15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus."
The Jew Is Condemned by the Law
"17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God,
18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,
19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,
21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?
22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?
24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written."
"25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."
"2 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.
3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who will render to each person according to his deeds:
7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God."
"12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having [o]the Law, are a law to themselves,
15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus."
The Jew Is Condemned by the Law
"17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God,
18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,
19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,
21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?
22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?
24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written."
"25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."
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