Get off facebook, BE A MAN by Paul Washer

I'm not a man, but I agree with Paul Washer. I was on Facebook for about a week and I must admit it was a huge waste of time for me. It was also very addicting. It was neat to find people I had not talked to or seen since I was in high school. But it was also very time consuming and not productive, in any sense. I am speaking from personal experience! It is very addictive and time-consuming. In my opinion it is a trick of the enemy(at least it was in my life)! I hope that this helps!
In Christ!
Wendy :-)

Hi
I am not a guy either but I know several others who use facebook and it really can consume your time. I know for myself I love to write and share with others but after much prayer the Lord has kept me from opening any accounts with any of the networking sites or twitter I just know that I would spend to much of my time on there and that would not be honoring God. I am going to share this with others.

Thanks for posting this
Your little sis in Him
Elizabeth

While I have never been much of a "joiner," the Lord has made it clear that He does not want me to be a part of any of these networks. While He has not revealed the reason, He has been very clear about the fact that He does not want me connected with them.

Somehow, I think it has something to do with making an allegiance, or aligning oneself with a group or body other than His.

That is SO interesting, Bro. Greg. I found this video just this morning and watched it before seeing this post. I've thought that for some time, "How beneficial is facebook?" I mean, what I had hoped for (to encourage and be encouraged by believers) is about next to impossible. If you post something, your unsaved contacts may think it applies to them. I mean I keep thinking "consider your audience".

It's been mostly tragedy, as I watch folks I used to go to church with in another state line up completely with the world and its interests. It's just as heart wrenching to watch unsaved people in my family make horrible choices and post them for everyone to see.

I'm very encouraged by [b]some[/b] Christians I've met, but I'm coming to think the BAD (including the occasional images that I'm forced to see) are outweighing the good. It's much more encouraging to come to SI. And I do believe that God is assembling/gathering His people in person as well. Nothing on facebook can even touch truly Biblical fellowship among believers in person.

[size=large][color=990000][font=Arial]Amen and Amen![/font][/color][/size]

sermonindex wrote:
It is not as much stopping something or getting off something but rather "using" our life's for something much better. If we just stop watching tv, stop this and that there is no virtue in that! But if we begin to serve God with all our hearts and put our hands to the plow. If we start to be obedient Christians then that is virtuous and what brother Paul Washer is calling for.

I agree with this 100%. I have a facebook account and yes I am on there often. I have people on my friends list that have found me from High School and now I get to share Jesus with them. I think that is a wonderful blessing! There are some who only talk to me once and then realize I am "one of those" and I never hear from them again but there are others who are still willing to talk and want to be a part of my life. Since I live about 5 hours from where I grew up it is the only relationship I can have with these people and I realize that I may be the only one to share the Truth with them. So I think that there is a positive side to it. I also use it to chat with other Christian women I know and keep up with their every day life.

I think anything can become an idol or time waster. Including SI. I know I have spent a lot of hours reading through these forum threads and it hasn't always been for my edification. I say all things in moderation...is it really necessary to cut everything out of our lives 100% because we cannot controls ourselves? (I know the verses that may get thrown at me here) What about the good that we could do on FB if we were all on there spreading the gospel rather than using it to waste time..

Facebook is a social medium.. people use it to keep up with each other. I see it as something that can be abused, that can become your master.. but it doesn't have to.

I don't get much involved with it, but it nonetheless can be useful for keeping in touch with people. I wouldn't have found out about the Poonen conference in PA, for example, without having been notified on Facebook about an event, and many others found out about it through there.

Facebook can be either good or bad, like money can be good or bad. It depends upon the user, and their heart.

I struggled for months, and finally joined Facebook to satisfy a sister who wanted to stay in touch, and who is a stay-at-home Mom and has the time to be on the computer. She has regained contact with cousins, and other family members because she has Facebook.

Once I joined, I realized that I can use this medium as a tool.

There are drawbacks, and things to be cautious of, as with anything else on the Internet.

It is (according to many in the conspiracy theory camp) a tool used for spying by the CIA, and other government organizations. Facebook can keep all your data you upload or put on your site, forever, even after you close your account, or whether or not you have deleted the info.

Consider it "publishing," without any form of copyright, every time you post something. It is available to the world immediately, and to the government forever, even if you delete, or shut down your account.

If you are ok with that, then go ahead, and use it for God's glory. Like anything else, you can get addicted, distracted by it, or waylaid by it.

So you need discipline. But you do with anything else as well. I respect Paul Washer, but his audience would be greatly increased if he maximized the Internet. Others are, and so his messages are getting out to people he could never reach without the full impact of the Internet.

If used as a tool, Facebook can have a wide impact for God.

dpneedham wrote:

If used as a tool, Facebook can have a wide impact for God.

Amen brother. This is exactly what I use it for, and it should be used for. In fact, I have been able to witness to my HS and collage crowd I used to run, who are still pretty hard hitters. I have had many, many conversations with these unbelievers about the Lord and conversion. One of my HS best friends has poured his heart out to me when seeing the conversion in my life.

Brothers and sister. The time is short. The Lords call goes out to all believers to spread the gospel. Facebook is a tool that I use (and I can boldy say that all believers, who partake in Facebook, should use it as well) to preach the gospel.

Many people are going straight to hell, lots of them use Facebook. Will you go into the midst of the battle, or will you stay in the safety of the sanctuary?

Many people are going straight to hell, lots of them use Facebook. Will you go into the midst of the battle, or will you stay in the safety of the sanctuary?

HeartSong wrote:

One does not need to join Facebook to be in the midst of the battle. I will be praying that He blesses your ministry.

How correct you are.

I apologize if I implied that a Christian needed join Facebook in order to get into the spiritual battle. This was not my intention and I conveyed it poorly. Many, many, many are involved in the ongoing spiritual battle that is taking place throughout the 99.9% of the world outside of Facebook.

To clarify, I believe that, if as a Christian and you are involved on Facebook, you should be using your Facebook account as a witnessing tool to non-believers, or for advancing the Kingdom and edifying believer to believer.

everything can be used for good, even facebook, but in our flesh dwells something that tends to make a good thing and use it for "evil".

facebook is not evil in it self, but it could be an evil for us, if some need to "pluck their eye out" and cancel their account that is good, if some people can spread the gospel through facebook praise the Lord.

we need to follow how the spirit leads us, do we spend more time facebooking then seeing his face probably a good idea to cancel that account.

myself is not on so much but i have been encouraged and enjoyed the fellowship with many people. We often want to make a "law" so to speak

"thou shalt not use facebook to much"

ect, in deed you should not, but let us use good things for good, and if we find out that the good we intended has become an evil for me, then it is time to cut that hand of i think.

whatever you do.... do it unto the lord.

if you cant facebook for the lord, dont :-)

hmmhmm wrote:
everything can be used for good, even facebook, but in our flesh dwells something that tends to make a good thing and use it for "evil".

facebook is not evil in it self, but it could be an evil for us, if some need to "pluck their eye out" and cancel their account that is good, if some people can spread the gospel through facebook praise the Lord.

we need to follow how the spirit leads us, do we spend more time facebooking then seeing his face probably a good idea to cancel that account.

myself is not on so much but i have been encouraged and enjoyed the fellowship with many people. We often want to make a "law" so to speak

"thou shalt not use facebook to much"

ect, in deed you should not, but let us use good things for good, and if we find out that the good we intended has become an evil for me, then it is time to cut that hand of i think.

whatever you do.... do it unto the lord.

if you cant facebook for the lord, dont :-)

*Thumbs up. Dawn likes this.*

Sorry...just a little humor for those who use facebook, you would understand. =0)

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:17).

Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1Corinthians 10:31).

Facebook, the internet, Sermon Index can all be used for God's purposes and for His glory or it can be used by man for his own personal satisfaction and to promote his own agenda.

None of these things are good or evil in themselves, but we must ask the question, why, how, and for what purpose are we using them?

Mike