The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

“Christ…while being reviled…did not revile in return.”1Pe 2:21-23 NAS
HANDLING CRITICISM THE RIGHT WAY (2)

When it comes to handling criticism the right way you must: (1) Demonstrate emotional
and spiritual maturity. Exhaustion can affect the way you act when you’re
under pressure. Elijah slipped into depression because of it. Queen Jezebel hounded him
relentlessly. Her opposition sapped his strength and caused him to say, “It is enough; now,
O Lord, take away my life” (1Ki19:4). Satan will take advantage of your weariness. When
you’re fatigued you can become overly sensitive and miss the opportunity for growth that
comes with the criticism. (2) Realize that good people get criticized. Jesus was called an
overeater (See Mt11:19); a drinker (See Lk 7:34); a friend of disreputable characters (See
Mt 11:19). People whose opinions are set and whose thinking is off, won’t understand
behavior based on obedience to God. So when your ideas and values clash with theirs,
try to be gracious. (3) Always keep a good attitude. Your own attitude can be more detrimental
to you than somebody else’s. You know what they say: “A chip on your shoulder
usually indicates wood higher up.” Peter writes: “You have been called for this purpose,
since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled,
He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself
to [God] who judges righteously.” Give it to God, and press on!

“It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife.” Pr 20:3 NIV
HANDLING CRITICISM THE RIGHT WAY (3)

When it comes to criticism: (1) Concentrate on your mission and change your mistakes!
Most of us do the opposite; when criticism comes we change our mission and concentrate
on our mistakes. If you run every time you make a mistake, you will never accomplish
anything. Instead you’ll live in constant frustration. The only real mistakes are the
ones from which you learn nothing. So instead of dwelling on your mistakes, count on
making some, growing wiser and moving on to finish the job. There’s an old Arabian
proverb that says, “If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end.” Don’t let
your failures become roadblocks—turn them into building blocks. In Proverbs 27 verse 17,
the Bible says, “Iron sharpens iron” (NIV). So pray and grow sharper through criticism.
(2) Spend time with the right people.When you have optional time spend it with those who
build you up, not tear you down. Quality time with the right people will strengthen your
faith and fortify you against the effects of the worst criticism. It will also keep you from
becoming critical yourself. When crows attack a hawk, the hawk doesn’t counterattack.
Instead, it soars higher and higher in ever widening circles until the pests leave it alone.
What a great strategy! Circle above your critics rather than stooping to their level: “It is to
a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” If your attitude is to have
an effect on people it will be because of your example, not your defensiveness.

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Ro 8:31 NKJV
HANDLING CRITICISM THE RIGHT WAY (4)

The moment you lift your head above the crowd you’ll attract attention, and not always
the kind you want. Learn from the duck. He stays calm on the surface, keeps
paddling underneath, and lets the water run off his back. Time is on your side. When
Nathaniel asked, concerning Jesus, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip
answered, “Come and see” (Jn1:46 NKJV). Nathaniel did, and he ended up becoming a
disciple. Often, as events unfold, the cause of the criticism will become clear and you’ll be
vindicated. But you must keep going. George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright, certainly
had his critics—but he knew how to handle them. After one opening a critic stood up in
the audience and shouted, “It’s rotten!” To which Shaw stood up and replied, “I agree, but
what are we against so many?” Nobody had more critics than Paul, yet he wrote: “If God
be for us, who can be against us?” Without courage we simply accumulate a collection of
good ideas—and regrets. Most of our missed opportunities wouldn’t have been missed if
we had been willing to push through the criticism and embrace what could have been. All
of us experience fear. But here’s the difference: the winner’s need for progress overwhelms
their reluctance to take a risk. They can live more easily with the memory of having
tried and failed, than not having tried at all. They know that failure is an inevitable part of
success, and failure always brings criticism. And while others fear stepping out into a new
opportunity, the winner fears missing out on it.

“O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.” Ps 25:4 NLT
DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

Even simple decisions can be stressful. Ever watch a child struggle to choose between
chocolate or strawberry ice cream? And the bigger decisions, like whom to marry,
which career to choose, whether to buy a house or to undergo high-risk surgery, etc. can
be nerve-racking! But you can reduce your stress level by following these biblical principles:
(1) Do the research. “Anyone who answers without listening is foolish and confused”
(Pr 18:13 NCV). Get all the facts and avoid making decisions you’ll regret. Knowledge has
never been more accessible; through the Internet, helpful books, and especially God’s
Word: “Your commands…are my constant guide” (Ps 119:98 NLT). (2) Talk to God. “Show
me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.” Consulting God helps prevent
premature decisions, clarifies your priorities and prepares you to hear His counsel. Is
God interested in your decisions? Yes. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights
in every detail of their lives” (Ps 37:23 NLT). (3) Be open to new ideas. Don’t get trapped
in old mind-sets. “Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh
insights” (Pr 18:15 TM). Clinging to the familiar can be crippling. God may choose to lead
you along a new path of fresh insight. So breathe deeply, seek His wisdom, and open up
your heart to receive it. (4) Get advice from trusted friends. “It’s a hard road that’s walked
alone,” says an old Celtic proverb. So follow Solomon’s counsel: “A fool thinks he needs no
advice, but a wise man listens to others” (Pr 12:15 TLB).

“Created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” Eph 2:10 NIV
WORKING FOR GOD—HIS WAY

God had a plan for your life before you were born. Indeed, it’s why He brought you into
the world. Simply keeping you “busy” was not His goal. He wants to see you doing
the work He “prepared in advance for you to do.” Joining a worthy cause and working hard
is commendable, but you can end up as a square peg in a round hole, expending time and
energy without achieving the you-shaped purpose God had in mind. He wants you to be
purpose-driven, not work-driven! So: (1) Ask Him to reveal His will to you. “It is God who
works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Php 2:13 NIV). God will
actually create desires within you that guide you toward accomplishing His purpose. It’s
not serendipity or super-spirituality, but God at the helm steering your ship. (2) Expect to
do more than you are capable of. Self-directed activity is self-limited activity. God-directed
activity is unlimited activity. God never calls us to do what we can; He calls us to do what
He can! “[He] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to
his power that is at work within us” (Eph 3:20 NIV). Listen, act on His promptings, and all
things become possible to you. (3) When the work is demanding, draw on His indwelling
power. Paul says, “I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
How much divine energy is needed for your assignment? “All His energy.” Awesome!
And it is available to you today.

“That thou mayest know how…to behave…in the house of God.”
1Ti 3:15
HOW TO BEHAVE IN CHURCH

The church is like a garden; it has great potential for growth and beauty. But cultivating
a garden calls for time and labor; it also requires being on the lookout for
weeds and pulling them up before they grow and kill your plants. Two of the most common
weeds in the church are: (1) Favoritism. “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize
how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who
fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel”
(Ac10:34-36 NIV). Peter, who struggled with prejudice, said, “I now realize…that God does
not show favoritism.” How about you? Do you realize that too? Or do you mix only with
“your own kind”? Cliques in church are high treason to the King of Kings. If there’s one
lonely soul in your church, you have work to do! The Bible says that God “gives families
to the lonely” (Ps 68:6 TLB). When people are shy, wounded, insecure, or lacking in trust,
you must reach out and bring them into your circle of fellowship. (2) Gossip. “Don’t speak
evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters” (Jas 4:11 NLT). When you hear gossip
about someone, stop it dead in its tracks. Unless you are willing to talk directly to the person,
don’t talk about them. And don’t let anybody else talk about them either. Gossip is
the art of saying nothing, and leaving nothing unsaid. If you want to promote harmony in
the family, don’t indulge in it.

“I am not able to bear all [this] alone.” Nu 11:14 NKJV
YOU CAN’T DO IT ALONE (1)

One day Moses told God that the job was too big for him. So God told Moses to find
seventy men with leadership ability. Then He said: “I will take of the Spirit that is
upon you and will put [it] upon them; and they shall bear the burden…with you” (v.17
NKJV). Understand this: you will never fulfill your dream as long as you are unable or unwilling
to get others to buy into it. Don’t think that because your dream is worthwhile,
people will automatically line up to be part of it. It doesn’t work that way. The same dream
that will bless you, can bury you if you don’t surround yourself with the right people.
Moses said, “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too
heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now” (vv.14-15 NKJV).
Don’t wait till you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown or your family is falling apart
before you reach for help.
When God calls someone He always calls others to stand with them. So start looking
around you. You may need just one person, or you may need many. Indeed, the greater
your dream, the greater your team must be. But here’s the good news: the size of your
dream determines the size of the people who will be attracted to it. If you have a big
dream, you have even greater potential for good people to help you. What you need to
do is connect with them, invite them in, transfer the vision and then turn them loose

“They shall bear the burden…with you.” Nu 11:17 NKJV
YOU CAN’T DO IT ALONE (2)

You may be a great visionary, but you will not succeed until you learn to inspire others
with your vision and transfer it to them. If you can’t do that, you are condemned to
experience an ancient curse that was reportedly used in Romania: “May you have a brilliant
idea, which you know is right, and be unable to convince others.” Now, while the
ability to communicate is important in transferring your vision to others, it takes more
than that. You must have credibility and conviction. People will only buy into your vision
if you are sold out to it. Convincing others of the significance of your vision can happen
only if you are convinced of its significance. That requires the right message, spoken by
the right messenger, to the right people, at the right time, and in the right way. Psychologist
and author Dr. Larry Crabb describes this convergence, saying: “A vision we give to
others of who and what they could become, has power when it echoes what the spirit has
already spoken into their souls.” That power can convince people to join you in the pursuit
of your vision, and greatly enhances your chances of success. There is an interesting
mathematical dynamic in the Bible which states that one person can put a thousand
others to flight, but two people can put ten thousand others to flight (See Dt 32:30). Yes,
the Scriptures teach the power of synergy. When you get the right people involved, plus
the blessing of the Lord, you’ll accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible.

“Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, said…‘It is finished!’” Jn 19:28-30 NKJV
CHRIST IS TOTALLY CREDIBLE (1)

What made great intellectuals like C. S. Lewis commit their lives to Christ? His credibility!
Observe some of the Old Testament prophecies Jesus fulfilled during His
lifetime: (1) He would enter into Jerusalem on a donkey: “Behold, your King…He is just and
having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey” (Zec 9:9 NKJV). (2) He would be betrayed
by a friend: “My own familiar friend in whom I trusted…has lifted up his heel against me”
(Ps 41:9 NKJV). (3) He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver: “So they weighed for my
price thirty pieces of silver” (Zec 11:12). (4) They would gamble for His garments: “They
divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots” (Ps 22:18 NKJV).
(5) Not one of His bones would be broken: “He guards all his bones; not one of them is
broken” (Ps 34:20 NKJV). (6) He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb: “They made His
grave with…the rich at His death” (Isa 53:9 NKJV). (7) That He would be raised again from
the dead: “You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see
corruption” (Ps 16:10 NKJV). John records: “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were
now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’” In full possession
of His mental faculties, with His mind unclouded, He checked off the prophecies He was
supposed to fulfill right down to the last one, and said, “It is finished” (v.30 NKJV). Christ—
He’s totally credible, and you can trust Him!

“Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, said…‘It is finished!’” Jn 19:28-30 NKJV
CHRIST IS TOTALLY CREDIBLE (2)

From the moment of His birth to the hour of His death, Christ’s life was predicted in
detail by Old Testament prophets. He fulfilled about forty different prophecies during
His lifetime. Statistically, the chances of that happening are about one in a billion! Why is
it important to point this out? Because voices are being raised that question His virgin
birth, His deity, His miracles, His resurrection, and His soon return. Evidently the same
folks were around when Peter lived. He writes: “I will work hard to make sure you always
remember these things after I am gone. For we were not making up clever stories when
we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic
splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The
voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings
me great joy.’ We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the
holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message
proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their
words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning
Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture
ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those
prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” (2Pe 1:15-21 NLT).

“[God] has delivered us from the power of darkness.” Col 1:13 NKJV
THE BLESSINGS OF THE BLOOD (1)

History’s crowning moment occurred when “Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro 5:6). He
didn’t just die for His friends and supporters, He died for people who despised Him.
It was no quid-pro-quo deal where Jesus said: “I’ll accept you if you accept me.” No, it was
a selfless, one-sided act of love. No conditions, nothing demanded in return. As a result,
God “delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the
dear Son.” Selah! Stop and meditate on the advantages you enjoy through Jesus’ blood:
(1) You’ve been delivered. The Greek word Paul used means to literally rescue by drawing
us to Himself. Your deliverance was a deeply personal event to Jesus. By His shed blood
He drew you to Himself. The distance sin had put between you and God was reversed and
you were “accepted in the beloved” (Eph1:6). (2) You’ve been freed from the power of darkness.
That “power” is Satan’s tyranny over those living under his control. Christ’s blood
liberated you from the darkness, ignorance and blindness Satan uses to deceive and
manipulate you. (3) You’ve been translated into the kingdom of God’s son. The word “translated”
implies being transferred from one place to another. In Paul’s day superpowers like
Rome would annex other nations and make them part of Roman territory. Often the conquered
were better off under Rome, enjoying such privileges as safety, food, mail service,
travel protection, etc. Christ’s blood transferred you into His kingdom to enjoy these advantages:
guaranteed protection, abundant provision for all your needs, full status of sonship,
and unlimited access to His throne.

“He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ.”
Col 1:22 NLT
THE BLESSINGS OF THE BLOOD (2)

Observe: (1) You have been reconciled to God. God wants unbroken, intimate friendship
with us, as with Adam in Eden. But sin made us enemies of God. “You who were
once far away from God…enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions”
(v.21 NLT). Yet He never stopped pursuing that relationship, sending Jesus to restore it. He
“made peace by means of Christ’s blood on his cross” (v. 20), resulting in your reconciliation
to God. The Greek word for “reconciliation” means “to be friends as we once were.”
Now you can walk and talk with God as Adam did. Now God sees you as “holy and blameless…
without a single fault!” (v.22 NLT). (2) You are the Lord’s redeemed. At the Jordan
River John saw Jesus and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world!” (Jn1:29 NIV)—Jesus, “In whom we have redemption through his blood” (Col1:14).
The word “redemption” means “liberation from captivity by a ransom paid.” Not only are
you purchased at the cost of Christ’s life, you are also adopted by blood into God’s family.
(3) You are forgiven of all sins. “In whom (Jesus) we have…the forgiveness of sins.” How
did He accomplish the total removal of all our sins? “Having canceled the written code, with
its regulations, that was against us…he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:14 NIV).
He wrote in His blood, “paid in full” across your outstanding bill of indebtedness to God,
nailing your “canceled debt notice” to His cross. You are forgiven. You owe nothing!

“Be kindly affectionate to one another.” Ro 12:10 NKJV
TRY TO BE MORE UNDERSTANDING

Often the reason a relationship fails is not because of a difference of opinion, but a lack
of understanding. Why aren’t we more understanding? For three reasons: (1) Selfishness.
Somebody quipped, “There’s two sides to every question—as long as it doesn’t
concern me personally.” Paul writes: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly
love, in honor giving preference to one another.” (2) Fear. Prejudice is often the fear of what
we’re unwilling to try and understand. When it comes to new ideas you’ve two options:
open your mind and grow, or reject them and stay the same size. We tend to compare
what we don’t understand with what we think we do—like the folks who told Columbus
the earth was flat. When it comes to building relationships you’ve got to be willing
to do what you’ve not yet done. (3) Differences. It takes more than one color to make a
rainbow and one musician to make an orchestra. When you take time to appreciate the
differences in people, you discover we all share the same hopes and fears. Harry Truman
said, “When we understand the other fellow’s viewpoint and what he’s trying to do, nine
times out of ten he’s just trying to do right.” Two of our most common problems are “giftenvy”
and “gift-projection.” One happens when we compare our talents with others and
feel inferior. The other happens when we expect others to feel equally passionate about
what we do. The Bible says, “There are different kinds of service…but we serve the same
Lord” (1Co 12:5 NLT).

“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Jn 13:8 NIV
WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE (1)

Jesus “took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist…poured water
into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was
wrapped round him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to
wash my feet?’…Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me’…When
he had finished…he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand
what I have done for you?’ he asked them…I have set you an example that you should
do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master’”
(vv. 4-16 NIV). Observe two things Jesus taught: (1) In order to serve God, you must serve
others. When Peter objected, Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
To play your part in God’s plan you must put others first. What you’re doing right now may
enrich you personally, but are you serving others and pleasing God? (2) When it comes to
serving, nothing should be beneath you. Can you picture it? Jesus, who was God, stooping
to wash the lowest, dirtiest and smelliest part of the body. Keep that picture firmly in
mind next time you’re asked to do something you don’t want to do, or something you
think is “beneath you.” Christ saw so much value in the least, the lost, the last and the
lowest, that He came to redeem them. And today He wants us to go out of our way to
serve one another.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Php 2:5 NIV
WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE (2)

Paul wrote: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very
nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (vv.5-7 NIV). In order to serve God
you must focus on others rather than yourself. Much of what we do is self-serving. We
serve to be admired, or to achieve our own goals. Some of what we do is more manipulation
than ministry. We’re really thinking about ourselves and how noble and wonderful
we are. We even use serving as a bargaining tool: “God, I’ll do this for you if you’ll do that
for me.” No, true servants don’t use God for their purposes, they let God use them for His.
God is always more interested in your attitude than your achievements. King Amaziah
lost God’s favor because “He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a true
heart” (2Ch 25:2 NRS). Self-forgetfulness is a daily struggle, a lesson we must learn over
and over. You can measure your servant’s heart by how you respond when others treat you
like a servant. How do you react when you feel taken for granted, bossed around, or
treated as an inferior? Jesus said, “If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the
occasion to practice the servant life” (Mt 5:41 TM). You say, “It’s not fair. I keep giving to
this person but they never give back.” Just keep serving, knowing “the Lord will reward
everyone for whatever good he does” (Eph 6:8 NIV).