Greatest Idol of Today

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farouk

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It's about balance, God has given mankind the ability to learn and develop, to advance. The Internet/ electronic devices are not the problem. It's how you use them and how they influence your life. This is what ' The sabbath rest ' ( really would recommend a book called ' breathe ' by Prescilla Shirer )
We can become enslaved to good things as well as bad. It's about getting the balance right so that we can enjoy the good, without being enslaved to it. Maybe the prompts are to get that balance right.
Remember we also have an enemy that wants us to feel condemned, sometimes condemnation and conviction get muddle up. I know I have not got the balance right with somethings in my life- so I truly understand where you are coming from. Really would recommend that book xx
Rita
The problem is when the medium becomes the message.
 

Taken

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I find internet/smart phone/electronics my biggest downfall. I find myself hoping for a rapture, because mankind already is sucked into the internet world. It has become a world all on its own that mankind has been taking part of. So much of buying and selling is already done by computer/electronic registers. I feel as if God is telling me to give up electronics completely. I have no idea where to begin. I can't just take up into the country and become Amish. Though a lot live around here. I just wonder how to train my daughter up in this electronic world and how to gain self discipline. I definitely have a lack of it. Pray for me. I want to pray for better willpower. I know I can do things only in Christ's strength. But limits are hard for me. It is an all or nothing sort of thing. Anyone struggle with this? What are y'alls thoughts on today's electronic world? Depression and teen suicide is up. They link this to smart phones. It is becoming a big problem. I don't want to be desensitized where I just say okay to anything. I had a dream a long time back about bowing down to the antichrist. That is something I never want to do. But when we make ourselves idols, in a way we are doing just that. In Matthew, Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That is what I desire.

I would say God was a proponent of discovery and science. And with all things, whatever they be, God was Thee proponent of discovery and science to be used for good.

Agree, electronics are becoming a major player in the world's activities...
They also can be used for good or wickedness. Wouldn't be at all surprised they will play a major role in the end days havoc.

Glory to God,
Taken
 

Helen

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I know right!!!!!!! Train a bird. Or there is something called the mail system, but I'm sure it doesn't exist anymore. :p

As I read your opening post, I thought of Joshua and Caleb.
They had to live for years and years in the middle of hundreds of murmuring and complaining people every day.

God did not take them out of the situation but taught them to to be victorious through it! Most of them died in the wilderness, receiving no promise , but Joshua and Caleb made it into the Promised Land. :)

You are a spirit being.."Go upward"...that is the way of escape. Living in the Spirit day by day. That is our escape.
The internet is there to be used or left. It in itself can do nothing.
The internet is not your problem. Tobacco is not a problem, guns are not a problem, ice cream is not your problem... etc etc...what we choose to do with it is where the trouble starts. :)
 

Nancy

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As I read your opening post, I thought of Joshua and Caleb.
They had to live for years and years in the middle of hundreds of murmuring and complaining people every day.

God did not take them out of the situation but taught them to to be victorious through it! Most of them died in the wilderness, receiving no promise , but Joshua and Caleb made it into the Promised Land. :)

You are a spirit being.."Go upward"...that is the way of escape. Living in the Spirit day by day. That is our escape.
The internet is there to be used or left. It in itself can do nothing.
The internet is not your problem. Tobacco is not a problem, guns are not a problem, ice cream is not your problem... etc etc...what we choose to do with it is where the trouble starts. :)

I think I will start calling you my Sage Helen, lol. Oh yes, God does not care for grumbling, shows a lack of faith although, I am guilty of it myself allot. But then...God :)
 

tabletalk

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The mail... you mean like the Pony Express? They were really fast too, LoL. That way you had lots of time to look forward to receiving something from someone. It was like a major event.


pony-express-40th-6_h.jpg

He's not wearing a seatbelt...
 

Nancy

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I find internet/smart phone/electronics my biggest downfall. I find myself hoping for a rapture, because mankind already is sucked into the internet world. It has become a world all on its own that mankind has been taking part of. So much of buying and selling is already done by computer/electronic registers. I feel as if God is telling me to give up electronics completely. I have no idea where to begin. I can't just take up into the country and become Amish. Though a lot live around here. I just wonder how to train my daughter up in this electronic world and how to gain self discipline. I definitely have a lack of it. Pray for me. I want to pray for better willpower. I know I can do things only in Christ's strength. But limits are hard for me. It is an all or nothing sort of thing. Anyone struggle with this? What are y'alls thoughts on today's electronic world? Depression and teen suicide is up. They link this to smart phones. It is becoming a big problem. I don't want to be desensitized where I just say okay to anything. I had a dream a long time back about bowing down to the antichrist. That is something I never want to do. But when we make ourselves idols, in a way we are doing just that. In Matthew, Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That is what I desire.

Hi @Mayflower, I have not seen you in awhile. Well, then I have not been on as much either. It's funny that you bring up this subject today as, earlier I heard on the radio that today is National Shut Down Day...phones, computer and tv. It was meant to get people and families to spend more time together, do things together, make memories!!!! So...I would not throw everything out just yet, lol...the computer is my TV but, when I'm on, it's here, email and once in a while FB. I love this site and the people on it, and I also struggle with self control so, yer not alone sister.
I think all this technology has de-humanized this generation because as usual, human hands and evil deeds misuse what can also be used for good. I hope you never have a dream like that again-God will protect your mind and make it sound! But then, if you are SURE God wants you to give up all things tech. then by all means, do so. If not, I would just be sure to monitor what your daughter sees/hears and watches? And, if you are at all like me, I use my computer about 98% of the time learning about God and the Bible.
In His Name,
nancy
 

Mayflower

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As I read your opening post, I thought of Joshua and Caleb.
They had to live for years and years in the middle of hundreds of murmuring and complaining people every day.

God did not take them out of the situation but taught them to to be victorious through it! Most of them died in the wilderness, receiving no promise , but Joshua and Caleb made it into the Promised Land. :)

You are a spirit being.."Go upward"...that is the way of escape. Living in the Spirit day by day. That is our escape.
The internet is there to be used or left. It in itself can do nothing.
The internet is not your problem. Tobacco is not a problem, guns are not a problem, ice cream is not your problem... etc etc...what we choose to do with it is where the trouble starts. :)

I agree!!!! It is the will power to set limits. :D It only can come through Christ for sure...
 

Helen

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I agree!!!! It is the will power to set limits. :D It only can come through Christ for sure...

Agree. All the 'will power' in the world wont help one bit for more than a moment.
"God power' is the only way it can be done....

Our Will Power will only cause us to burn out and then depression sets in.

Once I said to the Lord..."I just can't"... I heard His answer as clear as if it were audible..." Finally, I'm glad you said that ..agree, no you can't.....but I CAN."
 

farouk

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It's about balance, God has given mankind the ability to learn and develop, to advance. The Internet/ electronic devices are not the problem. It's how you use them and how they influence your life. This is what ' The sabbath rest ' ( really would recommend a book called ' breathe ' by Prescilla Shirer )
We can become enslaved to good things as well as bad. It's about getting the balance right so that we can enjoy the good, without being enslaved to it. Maybe the prompts are to get that balance right.
Remember we also have an enemy that wants us to feel condemned, sometimes condemnation and conviction get muddle up. I know I have not got the balance right with somethings in my life- so I truly understand where you are coming from. Really would recommend that book xx
Rita
The idea of rest is rooted in Scripture; it's a creational thing, really. (The ceremonial Sabbath isn't a New Testament precept, though.)
 
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Butterfly

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The problem is when the medium becomes the message.
Not sure what you mean - are you referring to me recommending a book , or the internet being the medium.
The book takes you back to the people of Israel leaving Egypt and delves into what God was endeavouring to teach them in the wilderness, also goes back to creation. So that takes you back to scripture. So I cannot see you meaning that the book becomes the message.
So can I presume that you mean people come to believe everything they read and see within the Internet and it becomes their basis for truth. This is of course what can and does happen, but it's also a means of spreading the real truth - in my opinion X
Rita
 
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Butterfly

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The idea of rest is rooted in Scripture; it's a creational thing, really. (The ceremonial Sabbath isn't a New Testament precept, though.)
Yes, I agree - but being still and coming back to God and really ' resting ' from everything is imbedded in ' relationship ' and does continue in the New Testament because Jesus encourages us to go to him X
Rita
 

farouk

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Not sure what you mean - are you referring to me recommending a book , or the internet being the medium.
The book takes you back to the people of Israel leaving Egypt and delves into what God was endeavouring to teach them in the wilderness, also goes back to creation. So that takes you back to scripture. So I cannot see you meaning that the book becomes the message.
So can I presume that you mean people come to believe everything they read and see within the Internet and it becomes their basis for truth. This is of course what can and does happen, but it's also a means of spreading the real truth - in my opinion X
Rita
I guess I mean that some ppl can be mesmerized by TV and the Internet, where there are so many agendas.
 

mjrhealth

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Agree. All the 'will power' in the world wont help one bit for more than a moment.
"God power' is the only way it can be done....

Our Will Power will only cause us to burn out and then depression sets in.

Once I said to the Lord..."I just can't"... I heard His answer as clear as if it were audible..." Finally, I'm glad you said that ..agree, no you can't.....but I CAN."
He He, ye it takes a while , for some it will never sink in.

God bless
 

bbyrd009

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I tried the Amish thing myself lol, and I gotta applaud anyone city who could make the transition. I still deal with them a lot, and have even adopted what suited me, the Anarchist lifestyle etc. Prolly wouldn't hurt to develop some Amish or Mennonite (anabaptist) contacts specifically to expose your kids to their lifestyle. I noticed that particularly little children seem to be captivated by it, up to about age seven or so, until they find the world iow. Even seen little kids crying bc they had to leave, etc.

A Bruderhof near you might be a good source for that too
 
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Nancy

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Agree. All the 'will power' in the world wont help one bit for more than a moment.
"God power' is the only way it can be done....

Our Will Power will only cause us to burn out and then depression sets in.

Once I said to the Lord..."I just can't"... I heard His answer as clear as if it were audible..." Finally, I'm glad you said that ..agree, no you can't.....but I CAN."

What a word! We all know we can do NOTHING without Him yet, our natures still try, and all for naught :(
 
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charity

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I find internet/smart phone/electronics my biggest downfall. I find myself hoping for a rapture, because mankind already is sucked into the internet world. It has become a world all on its own that mankind has been taking part of.
So much of buying and selling is already done by computer/electronic registers. I feel as if God is telling me to give up electronics completely. I have no idea where to begin. I can't just take up into the country and become Amish. Though a lot live around here. I just wonder how to train my daughter up in this electronic world and how to gain self discipline. I definitely have a lack of it. Pray for me. I want to pray for better willpower. I know I can do things only in Christ's strength. But limits are hard for me. It is an all or nothing sort of thing. Anyone struggle with this? What are y'alls thoughts on today's electronic world? Depression and teen suicide is up. They link this to smart phones. It is becoming a big problem. I don't want to be desensitised where I just say okay to anything. I had a dream a long time back about bowing down to the Antichrist. That is something I never want to do. But when we make ourselves idols, in a way we are doing just that. In Matthew, Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That is what I desire.
'Lo, this only have I found,
that God hath made man upright;
but they have sought out many inventions.'

(Ecclesiastes 7:29)

Dear @Mayflower,

My heart goes out to you. I empathise with you regarding these things. For into my mind very often comes the silence of God at Babel in Genesis 5, between verse 5 & 6 (before He confounds their language - Gen 1:1,5-7) when contemplating what man would be capable of if not separated and their language confounded. What a pregnant pause this is!
(- silence -)
'And the LORD said,
"Behold, the people is one,
.. and they have all one language;
.... and this they begin to do:
...... and now nothing will be restrained from them,
........ which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down,
.. and there confound their language,
.... that they may not understand one another's speech.'

(Genesis 11:6-7)

* Confounding their language slows down and minimised the degree of their ability: but in this day there is no bar to man's progress, it seems; for communication is no longer a problem; and has never been so accessible. So we see genetic research, and other medical, scientific and technological advances, which are giving man God-like ability, but without the responsibility and accountability attached to it.

* For example, young mothers are given choices, before the birth of their children, which advanced knowledge provides, placing in their hands decisions which no man should be called upon to make. Life or death decisions. Also, Medical science can keep alive those for whom death would be a release.

* There is so much more that I could list, which causes me concern. These advances are hailed as wonderful, however, they bring great responsibility with them, but little accountability.

* May God give us all wisdom, as to how we should best address these issues, in our own lives, for His Name and Glory's sake.

Praise His Holy Name!

In Christ Jesus
Chris x
 
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farouk

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2009
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'Lo, this only have I found,
that God hath made man upright;
but they have sought out many inventions.'

(Ecclesiastes 7:29)

Dear @Mayflower,

My heart goes out to you. I empathise with you regarding these things. For into my mind very often comes the silence of God at Babel in Genesis 5, between verse 5 & 6 (before He confounds their language - Gen 1:1,5-7) when contemplating what man would be capable of if not separated and their language confounded. What a pregnant pause this is!
(- silence -)
'And the LORD said,
"Behold, the people is one,
.. and they have all one language;
.... and this they begin to do:
...... and now nothing will be restrained from them,
........ which they have imagined to do.
Go to, let us go down,
.. and there confound their language,
.... that they may not understand one another's speech.'

(Genesis 11:6-7)

* Confounding their language slows down and minimised the degree of their ability: but in this day there is no bar to man's progress, it seems; for communication is no longer a problem; and has never been so accessible. So we see genetic research, and other medical, scientific and technological advances, which are giving man God-like ability, but without the responsibility and accountability attached to it.

* For example, young mothers are given choices, before the birth of their children, which advanced knowledge provides, placing in their hands decisions which no man should be called upon to make. Life or death decisions. Also, Medical science can keep alive those for whom death would be a release.

* There is so much more that I could list, which causes me concern. These advances are hailed as wonderful, however, they bring great responsibility with them, but little accountability.

* May God give us all wisdom, as to how we should best address these issues, in our own lives, for His Name and Glory's sake.

Praise His Holy Name!

In Christ Jesus
Chris x
Very thoughtful post.