*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*ARE YOU EATEN ALIVE?*
*Scripture Treasure.*
1 Pet 3:15-16 *But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:*
*Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
The critics of the gospel want to eat you alive. They eat you alive if you are defeated by their criticism and false accusations.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
The believer lives in a 'cannibalistic' world. A world of hate and criticism often with deadly consequences.
To eat the believer alive is to hate him, criticise, harm him, and most times, with deadly consequences.
The enemies' first instinct is to ravage with their tongues and criticize the believer angrily in order to harm his faith seriously.
We must not give up or be distracted.
Paul exhorts us to be seriously prepared so that they will not eat us alive.
Though the enemies' form of persecution often results in deadly consequences, 2 Tim 3:12, we must never allow our spirit to be crushed, 2 Cor 4:8-10.
Christians are caused extreme pain and hardship. He is the most victim of bigotry and character assassination, and his bible is accused of containing brain washing scams and fables, etc.
We are daily faced with people who water down the gospel, and they make short or no work of the gospel.
Critics make us feel guilty over what we ought not to feel guilty about. Jesus may have felt He should not have taken the gospel into His home town, because His people did not honor Him, Mark 6:4-6.
John 1: 11 says, *"He came unto his own, and his own received him not.*
God is aware that our critics always want to prove strong in order to discourage us.
In the days of Israel and Judah, God assigned a prophet to every king in order for them to hear the words and direction of God. As there were critics in times of old, so are there today.
God never seems to do enough, and neither do His servants or representatives. Every word spoken is ready for criticism rather than a critical analysis of it.
Critics claim to honor God, yet tongue lash His representatives forgetting that he who rejects the servant rejects the Master who sent him, Luke 10:16.
Jesus was accused of blasphemy, yet He did not relent, nor was He distracted, Matt 9:3.
In Matthew 9:4, He answered those who said He was blaspheming saying *Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?*
Jesus was saying here that those who rebel against His words through any form of criticism are entertaining evil in their hearts!
Critics forget that he who persecutes the servant persecutes the one who sent him, Acts 9:4-5.
You can not claim to reverence God if you speak against His chosen. You can not criticize God's chosen and claim to love God. You can not eat him alive with your criticism without eating God.
Those who criticize the believer criticize God and their own existence.
Do you want to live?
Live by the word of God, not by your criticisms!
*Remorse corner.*
Rather than eat the believer alive with your criticism, let his word be food for thought to you.
*Call to Word action.*
If to eat the believer alive by making money on it is your daily food, remember 1 Cor 6:13 *Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them....*
*The Christian clarion duty.*
Meditate the word of God in your mouth day and night, do not criticize it, or join those who criticize it.
*Prayer*
I choose to live by the Word of God in Jesus name.
Good morning all, and have a blessed day today.
God bless you.