Hello...

Hello Family of God,

I'm Keith and I'm new to the forums, but not the site. I have feasted on this site for many, many years. It's been indispensable to me and is my favorite place to be. Words can never express what this site has meant to me. I don't have a car and there aren't any churches near me that teach the whole of the scriptures. They're either fluffy, feel-good, motivational talks with seven steps to this or that, or they're political rants. When you bring up Jesus, people are immediately turned off and you become the weird, religious one. I haven't attended a church in years and I find it very, very hard now. I crave the fellowship. I miss talking about Jesus with those who really know and love Him. I've often wished SermonIndex would allow comments on their YouTube videos for this reason.

I've examined online Christian forums but the fighting and division break my heart. To be honest, that's why I never joined this forum in the past. There's enough of that in the 3D world. But, with the new forum rules in place, I'm hoping hearts are more focused on Jesus, and lifting those in the body of Christ who are struggling in these last days. We are many and we are watching conversations online, searching for those who truly love Him and each other. I don't want it to sound like I'm looking for perfection though! We're all prone to sin and disappoint. But, to find a forum that strives towards loving God and others daily is that rare gem in a field that you're willing to sell everything you have to obtain.

I'll be posting a prayer request soon. It's the main reason I joined this site. I hope that's okay. To have someone pray for me would mean the absolute world to me. But I wanted to introduce myself and say how very, very grateful I am for this site! As for me, I turned 50 this month. I'm not sure what else to say because there really isn't anything interesting about me. I'm wallpaper. I've never been married and I have no family. Even as a kid, I never felt like I belonged anywhere. As an adult, I'm sure I don't. I'm just a caretaker in my apartment building who also helps out the guy who shampoos carpets for the company that owns the building. Not having a car, and only working part time, I'm just a homebody. I do enjoy helping the single seniors who live here by doing little things like taking out their trash or walking down to the grocery store for them. The most exciting thing I do is go for long walks with an old iPod I have that's full of sermons and podcasts, mostly from SermonIndex.

Thanks for stopping here and I'm looking forward to getting to know folks and what Jesus is doing in your lives. I'm convinced that the Holy Spirit is looking for those who are willing to finally surrender everything of themselves that doesn't glorify the Father, so He can prepare them to finish the work He's called them to in the final harvest. To God alone be the glory! God bless you richly!

Hello Keith As I read your lovely introduction a book called the Practice and Presence of God by Brother Lawrence came to mind. May God just bless you more and more.

Thank you, brother Frank, Lois and Greg! And thank you for the kind words, Lois. I do keep a copy of The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. I don't own much in this world. (I try to keep it at only those things I use on a weekly basis... with few kitchen exceptions!) I try to keep my books to a dozen, keeping only the ones I want to study and re-read. (I currently have 34 books, so I'm not doing well!) But Brother Lawrence's book has always been one of them!

Brother Keith, great word! but I hope you have been around reading long enough to have witnessed, it's very few here that get caught up in the debates "I'll generously call them" so hopefully there is no stereotyping. There is "well used to be" a lot of wonderful folks here that used to post some very simple content that focused on Jesus, but like me probably have felt pushed away from posting, due to the very argumentative threads that most of us here have no desire to get caught up in.

I guess they have the right, to start these threads that are over most folks heads here, but in my opinion it's selfish to start threads and fill the forum pages full of things only theological college educated professors could ever take place in. I don't know what ever happened to threads that were in Laymans terms, where everyone could join in and learn from from the content. To me it's like a race to see who is the greatest theological wizard, on SI, maybe the few that enter these debates see it differently, this is just the way I see it, and I'm just being honest. I don't think there's anything wrong with the person being honest about their feelings.

Hi Keith

Welcome aboard. Hanging around this forum will transform you into Amazing Technicolor Dream Wallpaper.

PS - I am 49, never married and work at an apartment building.

Thank you for the welcome and encouragement, Markus, Mr. Bill, Wayne and Mark! Lord willing, I'm looking forward to hanging around!

As for the forum arguments, Mr. Bill, yes, I did notice that it's certainly not everybody, but generally a select few. No stereotyping intended. :) Disagreements happen. That can't be helped and it's okay. Iron sharpens iron. But, when they become a stumbling block to others looking in, it damages the cause of Christ. Humanly speaking, we may have "the right" to say what we want but, as surrendered, consecrated, adopted children of God, we surrender our rights to Him and for His glory. Still, we must be patient and show grace because we're not all at the same place in that regard. We're all a work in progress but, praise God, the work continues on!

Double post. I'm sorry...

You are welcome sir. I 'll be praying for you for supernatural turnaround .