Guest Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Eventually turn your back on the secular world and retire to the equivalent of a convent? Could a person eventually sell up and go live in seclusion. Cut all ties with this ungodly wicked world and retire to live in almost silence with other true believers of Christ. It would be like heaven! Is there a path or process for an ordinary person to do this? Or is it only for catholics who are highly qualified and become nuns? I can see in my old age in 20 years wanting to do this. Are there retreats or safe ways to spend your last years living only for Christ and leaving this mad world to it's own devices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayin jade Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 44 Topic Count: 6,178 Topics Per Day: 0.88 Content Count: 43,795 Content Per Day: 6.22 Reputation: 11,242 Days Won: 58 Joined: 01/03/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted July 20, 2018 Is doing that violating a command from the Lord though? Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations. He didnt tell us to go hide in a retreat. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 950 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,532 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 9,027 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/03/1885 Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Melinda12 said: Eventually turn your back on the secular world and retire to the equivalent of a convent? Could a person eventually sell up and go live in seclusion. Cut all ties with this ungodly wicked world and retire to live in almost silence with other true believers of Christ. It would be like heaven! Is there a path or process for an ordinary person to do this? Or is it only for catholics who are highly qualified and become nuns? I can see in my old age in 20 years wanting to do this. Are there retreats or safe ways to spend your last years living only for Christ and leaving this mad world to it's own devices. Hi, Yes one can turn their back on the secular world, but one cannot hide from that world, to try is to fail and then live in one's own strong delusion. Every saint, every believer in Jesus as Lord God and personal savior, has turned their back on the secular world. And the world hates us for it, having hated our Lord Jesus even more. Sure there might be the temptation to retreat from the world, and it might be encouraged for a short time of refreshing in the Holy Spirit to do so; but every saint also has an order from God, that order being go into all the world with the gospel message of Jesus so that many may be presented as mature in the Lord. Wherever a saint goes they are to bring the message of salvation, the message that Jesus is the way, the truth by which man is reconciled to God the Father. The saint need not retreat from the world, in fact cannot for that will not honor God nor bring praise and glory to Him. Each saint needs to first seek out the word of God and be a light to an unsaved world, the saint shining and sharing of that word. The saints do not hide their light, nor let it shine only in the presence of other saints. Saints are each soldiers with military orders to be obeyed. There are military posts to be stood. Find that post, ask God what will He have this soldier to do. Pray - ask pray- think, pray - read the Bible, and listen. Have confidence in the answer received to test it, see that it matches God's word the Bible, and then go as called by the Holy Spirit of God. The idea of enclaves, hide-aways, retreats, is not new. Many have happened over the centuries. Most if not all have one fatal flaw. They do in some fashion deny Jesus, and they add something to the gospel, or have a "secret" to keep among themselves. That alone is clue to run away from such enclaves. A famous one was born at England, broke into two groups, part going to America to become the Shakers. Though very interesting they failed over time too. Their theology being convoluted and in some serious ways quite false. Instead of imagining a glorious retreat enclave on earth today, I suggest following the command to be going into the world, for that strengthens each soldier of Christ Jesus. That service becomes it's own joy and it's own reward, all for the sake of the gospel. Being a witness of it, giving testimony of it is the service, doing all that is done in a manner that glorifies God, not hides the wondrous joy found in the grace and mercy of God, that is the call. Hear that call! Read the word! Pray! Share the gospel, as that is the joy to be found and spread. It is what is commanded of each of the saints, as soldiers with a duty. The soldier stands the post assigned. "in old age"- plan not so much for tomorrows, for one's soul may be required of them even tonight. Soldiers in this army do not retire. There are of course many Christian enclave retirement housing facilities for aid and comfort, but even they tend to go about sharing of God with the world. There is a history too of many having "bought" into such facilities finding it is not all that wonderful after all, and they then hop from one to another spending money along the way as they move and move yet again. Best to be active in the faith of Jesus not passive seeking retreat. May God bless bringing comfort and encouragement to go go into all the world- sharing the good news! Jesus is Lord. Lord of our shame. He took on our shame upon Himself, he paid the price of it redeeming us, He defeated death He arose again and ascending to heaven to prepare a place of us. Not for us to dream of hiding out in our old age, but to be a witness this day and every day until He returns and we are caught up to be with Him. Be bold this day in testimony, and if given tomorrow be bold tomorrow. Edited July 20, 2018 by Neighbor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debp Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 52 Topic Count: 1,014 Topics Per Day: 0.15 Content Count: 12,276 Content Per Day: 1.79 Reputation: 16,335 Days Won: 92 Joined: 07/19/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted July 20, 2018 3 hours ago, Melinda12 said: Eventually turn your back on the secular world and retire to the equivalent of a convent? Could a person eventually sell up and go live in seclusion. Cut all ties with this ungodly wicked world and retire to live in almost silence with other true believers of Christ. It would be like heaven! Is there a path or process for an ordinary person to do this? Or is it only for catholics who are highly qualified and become nuns? I can see in my old age in 20 years wanting to do this. Are there retreats or safe ways to spend your last years living only for Christ and leaving this mad world to it's own devices. While I don't think Christians should totally isolate themselves... perhaps you might just take a short, temporary "retreat" for quietness, prayer and Biblical meditation (meditating on the Scriptures). This can strengthen us for when we once again associate with those needing Christ. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyMidnight Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 10 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 536 Content Per Day: 0.25 Reputation: 563 Days Won: 1 Joined: 06/06/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted July 20, 2018 5 hours ago, Melinda12 said: Eventually turn your back on the secular world and retire to the equivalent of a convent? Could a person eventually sell up and go live in seclusion. Cut all ties with this ungodly wicked world and retire to live in almost silence with other true believers of Christ. It would be like heaven! Is there a path or process for an ordinary person to do this? Or is it only for catholics who are highly qualified and become nuns? I can see in my old age in 20 years wanting to do this. Are there retreats or safe ways to spend your last years living only for Christ and leaving this mad world to it's own devices. Hello Melinda12!!! Yes, it is certainly a tempting thought to be able to find some sheltered retreat and live with no knowledge of evil, the things of this world. There is a perfect place to do it too! Heaven. As for being in the world, scripture is clear on both how and why we must endure it. We are not here by our own will, but by and for God's will. Be glad for this! To keep perspective remind yourself of these versus whenever you want to become "invisible"! John 15:18-21 New King James Version (NKJV) The World’s Hatred 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 1 John 2:15-17 New King James Version (NKJV) Do Not Love the World 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. Cheers Melinda12!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enoob57 Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 35 Topic Count: 99 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 41,065 Content Per Day: 7.97 Reputation: 21,392 Days Won: 76 Joined: 03/13/2010 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/27/1957 Share Posted July 20, 2018 The love of God constrains us to reach other no matter what 1 Cor 13:4-8 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. ESV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 6 hours ago, Melinda12 said: Eventually turn your back on the secular world and retire to the equivalent of a convent? Could a person eventually sell up and go live in seclusion. Cut all ties with this ungodly wicked world and retire to live in almost silence with other true believers of Christ. It would be like heaven! Is there a path or process for an ordinary person to do this? Or is it only for catholics who are highly qualified and become nuns? I can see in my old age in 20 years wanting to do this. Are there retreats or safe ways to spend your last years living only for Christ and leaving this mad world to it's own devices. That is not biblical. Nor, does it glorify God. We are designed by God to be in community with other people. It is not only our psychological design, but also how God has designed the body of Christ. We all have something to contribute to the body, but that is not possible if we isolate ourselves and live in convents or monasteries. I realize there is an attractiveness to get away and sometimes a getting away for a week or two once in a while to recharge the batteries and get closer to God is good for us. But keep in mind that we are part of a body and we will be held accountable by God for what we do in the Body of Christ that mattered or didn't matter for the Kingdom. We are part of a family and it is not healthy for family members to want to be isolated permanently from each other. You are needed because you have a gift, something God has given you, a role to fulfill in the Church and you need to find where you belong and what you are called to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) In effect, this is what this forum tries to be. A place where only certain ideas can be expressed. The online reputation WF has is far too well known..... though hard for other Christians to believe really exists. Edited July 20, 2018 by Willie T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 5 minutes ago, Willie T said: In effect, this is what this forum tries to be. A place where only certain ideas can be expressed. The online reputation WF has is far too well known..... though hard for other Christians to believe really exists. No one is stopping anyone from expressing ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted July 20, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, shiloh357 said: No one is stopping anyone from expressing ideas. They certainly are. Every thread where I have disagreed with anything, I have been locked out of. And when I write George to ask what I have done that warrants silencing me, he refuses to tell me. Although he did answer by posting a string of question marks...????????? Edited July 20, 2018 by Willie T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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