I really try to do the best I can at serving the Lord, but sometimes I fall short of that goal. I am not a perfect man. I am just an unworthy servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not out to please people no matter what some may think. I want to be pleasing to the Lord. He is my top priority. I am sorry that some people feel it necessary to criticize people who are serving the Lord the best way they know how. We should be building others up and helping them run the race that has been set before them instead of tearing them down.
There are still people who act like the Pharisees. There are many who prefer man's traditions rather than having a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. I shouldn't be surprised at all by critics because they are everywhere. People criticized Jesus and if we are following Him faithfully then we too will be mocked and criticized as well.
Sometimes the words sting and they can hurt like a bad word. We must forgive the person and give them to the Lord to deal with because He can handle them better than we ever could. We should also see if there is any truth in what the other person said and maybe we can learn something from it.
I remember reading of a time when Peter and John were in the Temple telling other people about Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. The religious leaders heard what they were doing and they didn't like it at all so they had them arrested.
We can read of what happened in Acts 4:1-13 which says,
"1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.
2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family.
7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!
9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,
10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’a
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Peter and John were criticized by those who considered themselves to be religious and looked down on others. Peter and John were proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ and they healed a man who had been crippled in the name of Jesus Christ. The religious leaders didn't like it one bit and they had Peter and John thrown in the slammer.
The next day Peter and John were brought before the leaders in a trial setting or sorts and they were questioned. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak to these religious leaders about how the crippled man had been healed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Then He proclaimed the truth about Jesus Christ who was crucified by the religious leaders, but whom God raised from the dead.
Then Peter said something earth shattering and even shocking to people today. He said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." There is only one Savior of the world and that is Jesus Christ. There is only one that can save us from our sins and that is Jesus Christ.
Religion will not save us. Being a good person will not save us. Giving to charity will not save us. Belonging to a Church will not save us. Belonging to a religious group will not save us. Being baptized will not save us. Only Jesus Christ can save us from our sins and keep us from facing eternal separation from God by being placed into a literal hell.
It is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are saved. We must confess that we are sinners and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior to be saved. The religious leaders heard the message that Peter had given them, but they didn't seem to get it. Many people in our day and age just don't get the message that we proclaim about Jesus either, but we must still proclaim it because it is the truth.
There is only one way to be reconciled back to God and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who saves us. We can't save ourselves.
The Religious leaders saw the courage that Peter and John had and they realized that they were just ordinary men who had no fancy seminary training. They saw that these were just your average unschooled men, but they knew that they had been with Jesus.
I think that is a good testimony to have as a follower of Jesus Christ. Do people say that about us? Do they know that we have been with Jesus? I would hope that the Holy Spirit would flow through me in such a way that others would see that I have been with Jesus and that He has made a difference in my life. I know that on my own I can't draw others to the Lord because I am just an ordinary man with no seminary degree or a fancy title.
I just want to follow Jesus and draw closer to Him that others may come to know Him as well. May the Lord draw us closer to Him and empower us to live for Him through the Holy Spirit. Sometimes people will criticize us for one reason or another, but we must continue to proclaim the truth about Jesus no matter what.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to forgive those who criticize us and hurt us with their words.
We give them into Your hands.
Deal with them in Your tender mercies.
Help us to live in such a way that others will know that we have been with You O Lord.
Lead us and empower us through the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
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