Is this forum good for you spiritually?

[Just a Shepherd]

Do you find that time on the Internet bickering and fighting enhances your walk with God?

[CC1]

To be a reaonable poll there should have been a third option stating that this forum has no bearing good or bad on ones "spirituality".

If one allows their spirituality to be affected by a Christian discussion board the problem is theirs, not the forums and not Gods.

[RevDWW]

For me it's "iron sharpening iron".


Just a Shepherd, did you vote?

[BrotherEastman]

Do you find that time on the Internet bickering and fighting enhances your walk with God?
I think the poll speaks for itself. LOL!

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

I think the poll speaks for itself. LOL!

Destined to page 55 eventually.

If it harms you Spiritually,

LOG OFF!

:boomm

[RevDWW]

Destined to page 55 eventually.

If it harms you Spiritually,

LOG OFF!

:boomm

All words of wisdom!!!!

[Old Paths]

Do you find that time on the Internet bickering and fighting enhances your walk with God?



So who's "bickering and fighting"?

Not me.

I used to really get in there with the rest and mix it up with the best, but it just seems like much to to do over nothing.

:D

[rosebud]

I see more lively discussion and folks encouraging each other in times of need,we have had MANY prayer requests answered on this forum because we may disagree on some things but we can come together in prayer for each others needs!

What I see now that makes me absolutely sick is; See all that has gone down in the last few days? NLYP and ALL those others leaving...... That is why I left the UPC and have NO desire to return!

Threats of lawsuits, freedom of speech quelched....you can't even voice your opinion without them pulling out the big FEAR factor. It makes me want to hack up a hair ball (not magic hair either!) Folks speak the truth and they don't want others to hear it! When the Ministry does something questionable your suppose to keep it hush hush, but a regular joe saint...........shout it from the roof top.........off with their heads (regular joe saint head).

I do have great memories of the UPC I was raised in, but truthfully now it appears to be self distructing. I thought it was the district I was in when I left that had so many problems and in-fighting but it appears over what I've seen the last few years and even more so in the last month that it is across the board. It is sad because I remember when we could all worship together the ultra conservatives, moderates and liberals (or so they called them). We could still come together at General Conferences, Camp Meetings, Youth Camps and WORSHIP TOGETHER! Awesome moves of God would transpire and now what is all this about threats of law suits and retribution?

You know it really saddens me to see this happening to the UPC. It isn't because of Moderates and Liberals beliefs, its because Folks that use to love God and look beyond differences to see the same ultimate goal that people be won to the Lord are now at each others throats and if it would stop there that would be bad enough but to now slander each other and bring false accusations against each other and want to destroy each other that is WRONG! God is not pleased by these actions.

We did not leave the UPC because of Standards, but because of how folks were treated. We really thought we could leave peacefully and just go and worshp God and live our lives for him. But what a rude awakening when we were slandered by the very folks we thought were our friends. Lie's were spread to the church from the pulpit (sorry it's the truth and GOD is my witness on this) Things that were told in private to the pastor in counseling were literally shouted out, bad enough but then it was twisted to imply someting totally different and very sinful!

We would have been better of counseling with a Priest! Acutally I say that but really we should of just taken our burdens to JESUS, he heals and protects you from your accusers.

We had people literally turn their backs on us when they saw us in town. Did it hurt, definately but Jesus was there to wrap his arms aound us and remind us that he was treated badly also.

I said all that to say this, we are missing the mark when we are threatening to sue each other or destroy each other's ministry because we don't like how our brother or sister believes. And while the enemy has us all distracted and tearing each other down, souls are dieing without knowing God!

What you percieve as fighting on here is in reality a safe place where folks can voice their opinions with each other and agree to disagree. Yes there are times that things get out of hand but we have administrators that step in and give those folks a cooling off time.

Let's not forget the real reason we serve the Lord, because we LOVE HIM and we want to see others come to know him in fullness and in truth! A final thought I will let his word speak for me.

1 John 4:20
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen.

Just a saint aka Rosebud

[Old Paths]

To be a reaonable poll there should have been a third option stating that this forum has no bearing good or bad on ones "spirituality".

If one allows their spirituality to be affected by a Christian discussion board the problem is theirs, not the forums and not Gods.


Or a fourth....







































Who Cares.




:killinme

[fallen_on_the_rock]

bump

[Just a Shepherd]

For me it's "iron sharpening iron".


Just a Shepherd, did you vote?

Yes, now I did vote thanks for reminding me though. I posed the question because I logged off all Christian/UPC/Apostolic forum activity for the past three months and I now see things from a different perspective.

I still visited some of my business forums and the one thing I have seen is that there is a genuine lack of civility on "Christian" forums. Snide comments, disrespectful replies, and downright hate filled speech is the norm for Pentecostals. When I took a break, I realized that all the negativity was affecting me spiritually because I was starting to believe that the 2% of Apostolics on these chat forums were the norm.

I have come to realize that a computer screen is nowhere near true fellowship. It doesn't even come close to eating a meal together and genuinely loving someone as a brother or sister in Jesus.

When I logged on today to "peek" in I just got that sinking feeling again, like a reformed alcoholic who smells beer in the morning. So the question is a good one, even if does go to page 55, it's something you should think about.

By the way CC1 there is no such thing as interaction with people that doesn't affect you good or bad, think about it. The people you spend time talking with has a HUGE effect on you whether you know it or not. If you don't believe me take a 30-45 day break from all internet discussion. Can't do it? I wonder why?

Thanks for reading,

Steve Stevens
Murray, KY

[BrotherEastman]

What amazes me is the fact that we have people voting "no" and yet they took the time to vote on this here thread. LOL! Oh....the hypocrasy!

[philjones]

What amazes me is the fact that we have people voting "no" and yet they took the time to vote on this here thread. LOL! Oh....the hypocrasy!

Voting no does not mean that it is bad for your spirituality.. just that it isn't good. :D

[BrotherEastman]

Voting no does not mean that it is bad for your spirituality.. just that it isn't good. :D
LOL!

[Pragmatist]

I have been encouraged and been given new spiritual insight by some posts. I have been discouraged by the negativity in others. I try to avoid the negative posts and find the good ones.

Hint- Sometimes you can screen threads by looking at who the poster is. :)

[Sheltiedad]

What amazes me is the fact that we have people voting "no" and yet they took the time to vote on this here thread. LOL! Oh....the hypocrasy!

I would say that religion as a whole is bad for my spirituality... therefore, this forum is bad for my spirituality. :)

[drummerboy_dave]

This is funny, I have just cast the swing vote in a 50/50 deadlock. Yea, me!

It was asked, "Do you find that time on the Internet bickering and fighting enhances your walk with God?" Of course it doesn't! Hopefully people have a real life!!

Most of the time there really isn't "fighting and bickering". It's sporadic and usually between a certain few. In the ebb and flow of forums, things should become much more normal soon. Which usually means there will be more studies and better topics. Things will quiet down, maybe too quiet for some. Then the same people get antsy or something and get back into the fray.

Yes, being around negativity can bring any person down, and if it's too negative for someone then the best thing to do is exit.

[drummerboy_dave]

...In the ebb and flow of forums, things should become much more normal soon. Which usually means there will be more studies and better topics...Or, the wonderful, christmas debate will begin. :smileysleigh :slaphappy :killinme

:banghead