Goodbye to all

[NRoof]

After a lot of prayerful thought and consideration I feel it is time for me to leave this forum. I originally joined this forum because I thought it would be a good place to learn and fellowship with others. It didn’t take long to figure out this was not going to be the case. I stuck around to determine why I was led here and what God wanted me to learn. I have learned many things along the way and have hopefully made a few friends.


Before I go I would like to get a few things off my chest.

Romans 14:19
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

Ephesians 4:16
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

There are more verses but this will suffice for now.
I have seen very little that glorifies God or edifies others. I have not seen people rebuked in loving kindness. What I have seen is a distain for people who don’t completely agree with another’s position. I have seen flat out attacks on the UR’s, Catholics and others instead of showing the love of Christ and possibly leading that person to the truth. Now you will probably say we are supposed to rebuke those who call themselves Christian and promote a false doctrine. Well you are right but do you honestly think it is glorifying to God to call that person and idiot? This exact verbiage may not have been used but it is close enough.

I am saddened daily by coming here and seeing this.

To be fair I have seen some very good discussions but they seem to be far and few between.

Luke 10
8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’

It profits nobody to continue the arguments I have seen here. It certainly does not edify others or glorify God so we should do what the Bible tells us. Wipe our feet and move on.

Here is the bottom line for me.
If I were not a Christian when I came here I probably would not want to be one based on what is said and written in these posts.

God bless and I hope you all find what you are looking for.
Norm

 

[Lyric's Dad]

I am sorry to see you go but I cannot say that you are wrong. Some people need to remember the Name they represent when they put their fingers to the keyboard.

I would like to say that maybe a voice such as yours would assist though in helping others to maybe remember Christ when they type. It would be good to have you stay.

 

[Nikki]

I'm sorry to see you go, but in a way I understand. If I was going to leave because of certain people, I would have left LONG ago! :

I then realized that it's not worth my time to argue with certain people here. I'll just pray for them instead and maybe God can get through to them.

 

[Scott]

Sorry to see you go and that I didn't ever really get to talk with you. I just noticed you live in Palmyra, I live about 40 minutes away from there and I actually have many old friends who are from Palmyra. Anyway, take care!!

 

[lovely]

NRoof,


I appreciate your post. I apologize, sincerely, if there is something I have written to offend, or discourage you. It is always my hope that my heart, and my world, edify my brothers and sisters, and most importantly glorify God. I do fail, however, as much as I desire not to.

The Lord bless you as you go in peace, and spread the Gospel.

His,
Lovely

 

[Vic C.]

Thanks for your concerns and hope you find a forum where you too may bear fruit.

Take care. :angel:

Vic

 

[stovebolts]

Norm,

I want to thank you for the your attitude and the light that you have brought to my life. You were there to pick me up when I needed it. You brought words of encouragement and hope to me when I needed it most wether you realized it or not. Thank you, Norm.

I remember when I first came to this forum. I too was looking for Christian companionship. What I found at times, was just the opposite. What I became, was not becoming at times. I have a lot to be ashamed of for anyone that wishes to view my earlier (and some more recent posts). None of us are perfect, but none of us (or I) have a viable excuse.

I really understand what you are saying Norm. I would like to continue to keep in touch.

Your friend,
Jeff

 

[cj]

Sometimes as I read Paul's last words to Timothy I share a common feeling with him regarding how hopelessly empty these words might have seemed to Paul even as he wrote them.

Paul knew that the end was near, that his departure was at hand, and yet he asked from Timothy to come to him before the winter.

Hope beyond hope.

It is God's way to take us even to the end of ourselves,.... and yet, even then, if we turn to Him, He will rise up in us as our strength, if not to continue, simply to have hope.


This world is getting worse each day, for His return draws near.

Mourn, yet rejoice.

Who can do this in truth? Only the one who is found in his regenerated spirit, where God dwells.


Your regenerated spirit is heaven on earth. Therefore, wherever you go you can be in the very presence of God, even on these boards.

But a man's flesh is death on this earth, and for a little while longer our flesh will be with us, and thus death is always close. And worse, we can even abide in this death by leaving our spirit.

The truth is, as a man said in a song once,..... "You running and you running and you running away,... but you can't run away from yourself..... No, you can't run away from yourself."


Nroof,.... just abide in Life and just be Life as you live out your time on this earth. Its the best any of us can do. And its all that God desires from us.

Don't be so concerned with how things look, just take care of yourself in the Lord, and by doing so you will spontaneously be taking care of those around you.


In love,
cj

 

[Free]

NRoof,

Sorry to see you go. But you know, I have yet to find a Christian forum where they all got along. They've all been like this one. Not that it means it's right, but it's just how it goes when many people with many different beliefs congregate. One day it won't be like this...

 

[Soma-Sight]

There are more verses but this will suffice for now.
I have seen very little that glorifies God or edifies others. I have not seen people rebuked in loving kindness. What I have seen is a distain for people who don’t completely agree with another’s position. I have seen flat out attacks on the UR’s, Catholics and others instead of showing the love of Christ and possibly leading that person to the truth. Now you will probably say we are supposed to rebuke those who call themselves Christian and promote a false doctrine. Well you are right but do you honestly think it is glorifying to God to call that person and idiot? This exact verbiage may not have been used but it is close enough.

I think you are seeing the fallacy of separatism and fundamentalist closed minded religiousity......

I TOO thought that this was a CHRISTIAN forum! Not a fundy one! There are more non fundy Christians in the world than the small majority represented on these boards!

Statistically this forum is a poor representation of what MOST people really feel.........

 

[Khristeeanos]

If you are looking for a "perfect" forum, you won't find it.

The same as looking for a "perfect church." It doesn't exist here on earth.






(sort of like the so-called geologic column)

 

[cj]

Statistically this forum is a poor representation of what MOST people really feel.........

This might reflect a good thing, as "statistically" those who really love the Lord are few.

Or so the bible tells us.

In love,
cj

 

[cj]

If you are looking for a "perfect" forum, you won't find it.

The same as looking for a "perfect church." It doesn't exist here on earth.

Actually this is not exactly true.

"For God so loved the world that He gave....."

We know for sure that God does not love the fallen world, so what did He love?

His view of what He created.

God looked pass the fallenness and saw creation as it should and will be.

This is the principle of the "foretaste" that we as believer have here on the earth today.

The fact is, the church is on the earth today, and this church is perfect.

For believers the challenge/struggle is coming to lay hold of and possess this view (in truth and not according to false doctrine as seen in religion),...... and...... manifest it by having a living and being out of it.

The perfect church is on the earth today, some just have a problem seeing it.


This is the truth.......

The manifested church is the outward reality of the inward content, the visible product of the reality of the Christ who lives within each believer.

The manifested Church is just Christ becoming visible in and through His believers.

This is the "working out" of a believers salvation.

God intends to have Himself increased in men, in His many sons. This increase is in life (His life being placed in each believer, and becoming the source from which a believer lives) and in nature (the life contains all that God is and thus men who have received His life and live out of His life simply become and expansion of His very being. Jesus said "You see me you see God." This is how it will be with all believers one day.)

What though will not be shared with men is God's position as the Head.



Therefore, when you see God in a believer you see a small measure of the perfect church. And when you see God in a few believers gathered together, you see a slightly larger measure of the perfect church.

The problem today (as it has been for centuries) is that due to poor ministry, believers take God as a doctrine and not as life, and thus the resulting expression is truth mixed with human reasoning,.... which is not God, and therefore not the church.

The fact is, it is impossible for a believer to see God in another believer from a disposition of human reasoning.

The church is Christ, and Christ becomes visible through spiriual revelation, not human reasoning.

This is what the bible tells us.


In love,
cj

 

[NRoof]

If you are looking for a "perfect" forum, you won't find it.

The same as looking for a "perfect church." It doesn't exist here on earth.

Please understand I am not looking for a perfect anything here on earth.
The problem I'm having here is the "I'm right, Your wrong" mentality. We are to seek the truth and not assume we have the truth. Let me give you an example:

A friend of mine and I used to get together on a regular basis (we don't now due to conflicting schedules). During our time together we would talk about how each of us was doing in all areas of life including our walk with God. On most every occasion we would come to an area concerning our understanding of scripture that was different. We would then discuss this at length (much like here) presenting and listening to each others views. The major difference is neither of us went into the discussion believing their view was infallible. The results of these conversations were one of 3 possibilities.

1) We reach no consensus therefore we agree to disagree. We don't call each other names or condemn the other for the difference but we do come away from the discussion closer than we entered it because we have a better understanding of each other and we respect the differences.

2) One of us would change their view based on the discussion. We didn't go into the discussion believing we were right so it left the possibility open that we were wrong.

#3 is what happened most of the time

3) We would come to a new understanding that neither of us had before. The open and loving conversation allowed us to explore the subject without fear of ridicule or condemnation. With 2 (or more) people going into a conversation with the understanding that they may be wrong leaves open the possibility that both are wrong.

He is something I posted in another thread once.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
You catch more sinners with love than condemnation.

My real problem here is I don't see much of the love of Christ or things that glorify God in this forum. There are some wonderful exceptions to this but they seem to be few. Don't get me wrong here, there have been many times I have wanted to lambaste someone here and on more than 1 occasion I have actually started typing only to have God intervene and stop me from posting. For this I am ashamed (the original thought not God stopping me).

I hope this makes sense as I'm much better explaining myself in person than I am in my writing.

I think you are seeing the fallacy of separatism and fundamentalist closed minded religiousity......

If you are saying what I think you are then I am one of the people you are referring to (except for the closed minded part). I believe that heaven is exclusive to only those who profess (and not just lip service) Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Matthew 7
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

[Remember]

The problem I'm having here is the "I'm right, Your wrong" mentality. We are to seek the truth and not assume we have the truth.

I remember the apostles in the Bible having troubles like this. Few times do we read about those being taught "searching the scriptures" to be sure what the apostles were saying was of prophecied truth. They would start preaching/teaching and either the priests or the pharasees or the idol makers would start boasting against what they were teaching and would purposely get the masses in an uproar to get the speakers killed, if they could. And as the apostles would travel around the known world, groups of these people would follow them just to create hate and discontent where ever they went to teach.

Do you know, there are people just like this today. They follow some from site to site insiting hate and discontent in opposition to what someone might be showing from the Bible. Amazing, itsn't it? Nothing has changed.

The way I see it, if some truth is posted here and someone notices it through all the bickering and the argueing, and it turns on a light, that truth is still known and hopefully accepted and bringing someone closer to Christ.

Typed print is so emotionless (hence the need for emoticons, I guess) and many get to typing on and on and it is so easily misconstrued at times because you can't see the emotions, or lack thereof, behind the print. Yes, some attitudes come across loud and clear but others don't.

As you posted, few will find that narrow path. That is a fact we know in the Bible. Perhaps a post you leave here tomorrow helps the light shine for someone who visits on Monday. One more set of feet might walk that narrow path because of it.

I do hope you will stay and help others who venture here find the narrow path of truth. You never know, your steps might become more grounded in the truth for the effort :D

 

[Blazin Bones]

Norm, I'm sad to see you go. I wish I'd had the chance to ge to know you better. Norm, if you do leave us, please keep us in your prayers, because the points you make are clear. However, As Lyric's said, it sure wouldn't hurt to have a voice of reason here.

Norm, Thanks for coming to fellowship with us, and if you do decide to leave, just know that we will keep you in our prayers. Go wherever God leads you to go. Blessings, and Peace.

 

[Nocturnal_Principal_X]

NRoof,

I’m sorry to see you go. I hope and pray that I have not been as you described but perhaps I have considering I am bullheaded sometimes about my point of view. I do however try to keep an open mind but sometimes I act pretty close minded. In any event I think that is something I should work on and pray about.

 

[NRoof]

First let me say thanks for all who posted words of encouragement and love in this thread. I want you all to know I took your words to heart and took some time to reexamine whether the decision I was making was what God wanted or if it was just self pity.
I wish I could adequately express the emotions I feel but mere words will fall short of how I truly feel towards all of you. I wish there were an emoticon for hugs but I couldn't find one so this will have to do :smt055

When all is said and done it only took the post of one person to help me see the bigger picture that I had blinded myself to. Whether intentional or not that one post showed me the words God had placed on my heart when I created this thread had not fallen on deaf ears. This also showed me that while I most probably will not see the effects of what I post doesn't mean God can't use them to help others and thus bringing glory to him. To that person I would like to say thanks for helping God to open my eyes.

Again I want to thank all of you and I wish I could give each of you a heartfelt hug for the love and compassion each of you has shown me. I thank God for putting all of the people on this forum in my life but I especially thank him for putting all of you who replied in my life.

Thanks my bothers and sisters in Christ.
You'll be seeing me around.
Norm