Consideration

It may be worth remembering, that on a Christian forum such as this, it is incredibly easy for someone who hates Christians, who may have considered themselves to be Christians at one point, to enter a forum thread and take a theological position intended to cause strife and division.

I believe that the moderators request that we pray before we write anything may, in a lot of cases, prevent these darts from gaining too much traction.

Fish get pulled out of their environment because they bite a hook that is hidden in a tantalizing food. It is good to remember that we are to always speak the truth in love. I do not write this to make us look askance at one another, I write this in faith, knowing that if God truly can work for the edification of the saints through the internet, he also can faithfully guide us in what we say and do as a result here.

I am more than positive that I am not the first to mention or point this out, I just perceived that we may need a reminder.

It sad that things are as they are now. Who hasn't noticed?

Caustic, cold, defensive remarks have been made that have helped no one.

Since we have to answer for every idle word we utter, Matt 12v36, let's be careful what we utter.

We might try and be clever and say we didn't say anything, it was written. That's called self-deception, and who wants to find out the hard way.

Let's encourage, edify, build up, strength, and all for God's glory and the help of our brethren.

God bless.

This is indeed a good reminder. Just this morning in my bible study I was reading these verses:

2Ti 2:14 ¶ Of these things put [them] in remembrance, charging [them] before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, [but] to the subverting of the hearers.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

The forums should be a place where
Christians can find encouragement,
exhortation, inspiration, and comfort!!
AMEN & AMEN

I have been coming here for some time, I rarely post, but I do read. I have read comments that have made me shudder they can be filled with such hate and spite. It would be easy to confine it to just these forums, or the internet but it would not be true. I also do not believe that the responses are so much driven by the anonymity of the web. We are responsible for our actions in word and deed.

I remember when I got saved and truly asked Christ into my life, I began seeking God in prayer and scripture with all my heart. The Spirit of God shed such love in my heart as I had never experienced before, yet I was still myself. I found it easy to love most everyone...except this one guy I worked with. We were just diametrically opposite each other (even before I gave my life over to Jesus). And I found often that we would argue with each other. And I put in as much as he did. Until another Christian a sub-contractor for the place I worked approached me and told me that I was a very hateful person and that I was not acting like a Christian towards so and so. I was shocked! I immediately began to say that I was trying to do better, he would hear nothing of it. He just said if I were trying, I would be doing.

I carried that with me the rest of the day, and asked the Lord to help me with it. You know what? He was correct. Sure the blood of Christ had washed my sins away, certainly I had His Spirit indwelling in me, and yes, I could walk in the Spirit and live for God... But I had to participate actively. I had to make the decision to respond as God's Spirit and His word required. Just because I was saved, I did not become an automaton, and the liberty found in Christ did not mean that every automatic response on my part would be the correct one. I had to CHOOSE to act right.

I am not much of a writer and am not trying to be, but I just felt to respond to this post. In scripture we are told that salvation is a free gift of Grace. And it is. But it is up to us to allow Jesus to work effectually in our lives to convert our hearts and make us that "new man" in Him. And at the same time we are compelled to respond in scripture we find we are to strive to enter in, to put on, to press towards, to make sure, to stir up, and on and on- actions that we must take in our daily walk to "become" more like our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us search our hearts individually to ensure that that love which is spread abroad is actually allowed to work within and with out.

Have a blessed day.