Maybe I'm just not cut out for a forum

[PeterR]

There were two humpbacked people in the world.

They were disgusting.

Suddenly God took pity on one and straightened his back.

But instead of preaching the Word and praying to the Lord for the healing of the other,

he started pointing his finger at him and shouting in the streets:

Hunchback! Hunchback!

Was he doing the right thing?

Rather disgusting!

 

There were two pagans in the world.

Just two living dead.

Suddenly God turned on one….

[debrakay]

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and responses to my cry for help.  I took a few days off and decided to give it another try.  I'm still not sure if typing on a computer is where the Lord will have me but I know that I will choose my words with more wisdom, choose the battles where the Spirit leads me, and pray harder, first,  when I read something that I think I should respond to.  Some of you have been doing this kind of thing for decades and some of us are forum novices.  I may be a "meat" Christian in my walk with the Lord but am learning that I am at the "milk" stage of part of being of a forum.  

[Ozarkbound]

On 3/4/2021 at 6:35 PM, debrakay said:

Yes, they are every where and they really don't care for morality, integrity, truth and mostly God.  I was just surprised on the Christian forum.  Jesus warned us though.  He knows the heart of each one.  Since I do not, I hit the ignore button, block button or just wipe the dust off and leave.

I am not a liberal. I am about as conservative as they come at this point after seeing what has been happening for the past few weeks.

 

 But, this post by you, just invalidated the point you were trying to make. Here you are, denigrating a whole category of people.

Edited March 6, 2021 by Ozarkbound

[Ozarkbound]

3 minutes ago, Ozarkbound said:

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Ozarkbound

[Marathoner]

23 minutes ago, debrakay said:

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and responses to my cry for help.  I took a few days off and decided to give it another try.  I'm still not sure if typing on a computer is where the Lord will have me but I know that I will choose my words with more wisdom, choose the battles where the Spirit leads me, and pray harder, first,  when I read something that I think I should respond to.  Some of you have been doing this kind of thing for decades and some of us are forum novices.  I may be a "meat" Christian in my walk with the Lord but am learning that I am at the "milk" stage of part of being of a forum.  

When the Lord convicted me of contentiousness I learned the value of silence, of stepping back and refraining from responding in the heat of the moment. Through this revelation His Spirit taught me I am responsible for myself and therefore, that I am responsible toward others. Hence, never return evil with evil but return it with good. 

We find ourselves embroiled in a struggle against this flesh which is perishing every day, a weakness we all must bear in this world. It isn't easy but the Lord is a merciful Teacher who is patient to finish His work in us, the work of His hand. His power is perfected in weakness. 

"Stepping back" is applied in whatever we do and wherever we go. On a forum, this means waiting and refusing to respond in knee-jerk fashion. It's amazing what happens when we do this... after some silence we begin to see matters in a different way.  

[debrakay]

15 minutes ago, Ozarkbound said:

 But, this post by you, just invalidated the point you were trying to make. Here you are, denigrating a whole category of people.

I apologize for offending you. I will try to choose my words more wisely in the future. My problem seems to be that I see wheat and tares, sheep and goats, fruitful tree and barren tree, sinner and saint, light and dark, good and evil, and so on. I was a fence-sitter at one time in my life and need compassion for those still on the fence.

Revelation 3: 15-16 -I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 

[Ozarkbound]

2 minutes ago, debrakay said:

I apologize for offending you. I will try to choose my words more wisely in the future. My problem seems to be that I see wheat and tares, sheep and goats, fruitful tree and barren tree, sinner and saint, light and dark, good and evil, and so on. I was a fence-sitter at one time in my life and need compassion for those still on the fence.

Revelation 3: 15-16 -I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 

Apology accepted.

The thing is that there are people who are simply mistaken. I used to be much more liberal than I am now. I have a grown daughter who is a liberal. She is not a liberal because she is immoral, has no integrity and no love for God. She leans liberal because she has a love of people. She is involved in several service organizations.

Does she have political views I disagree with? Sure. Do I have friends who are Liberal? Absolutely. I feel they are mistaken, not immoral. I wouldn't have immoral people in my life.

[Marathoner]

Don't look upon our neighbor as a liberal, a conservative, a foreigner, someone familiar, or someone far away from us, all of which is the custom of this world. This is easier for some than others no doubt, but even so the Lord drew no distinction when He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31). Who is our neighbor? 

Everyone, no matter who they are. Let us emulate Christ for as we do this, we fulfill the Lord's prayer in John 17:

"The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me." (John 17:22-23 NASB)

It's astonishing beyond words, my friends. The glory which our Father gives to His Son, His Son gives to us. 

[Ozarkbound]

18 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Don't look upon our neighbor as a liberal, a conservative, a foreigner, someone familiar, or someone far away from us, all of which is the custom of this world. This is easier for some than others no doubt, but even so the Lord drew no distinction when He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31). Who is our neighbor? 

Everyone, no matter who they are. Let us emulate Christ for as we do this, we fulfill the Lord's prayer in John 17:

"The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me." (John 17:22-23 NASB)

It's astonishing beyond words, my friends. The glory which our Father gives to His Son, His Son gives to us. 

This is a beautiful post. 

[debrakay]

It's almost been a month since I joined this forum.  It has been a long month but I keep coming back.  There is something contagious about this forum with it's Christ Followers, their humor, their words of wisdom, their ability to be here year after year with advice and knowledge of life, love and the Lord and all of the others searching, like me.  I may not be an "every-dayer" but I will continue to return as the Spirit leads me.