I Feel Like My Relationship With Christ Is Wavering

[Rita]

Self condemnation is a great enemy.....as well as the voices of condemnation the evil one feeds into our thoughts. Identifying what's happening here is important because it's a cop out to take the easy road blaming others for anything including abandoning Jesus (lack of faith)
The lack of self honesty is usually the culprit....the love of sin and or its denial in ones preferences does its dirty work and blocks vision of the critical things.

I didn’t see April as ‘ abandoning Jesus ‘ , more a case of not liking how his people are acting and abandoning them ! ( Christianity ) However I may have interpreted the OP wrongly.
I left ‘ the church ‘ because of all its hypocrisy and pharasaic attitudes , but I didn’t leave ‘ the real church’ or my relationship with Jesus ..... maybe that influences how I see a slight difference.
Rita

 

[DuckieLady]

I didn’t see April as ‘ abandoning Jesus ‘ , more a case of not liking how his people are acting and abandoning them ! ( Christianity ) However I may have interpreted the OP wrongly.
I left ‘ the church ‘ because of all its hypocrisy and pharasaic attitudes , but I didn’t leave ‘ the real church’ or my relationship with Jesus ..... maybe that influences how I see a slight difference.
Rita

A little too much vinegar and not enough honey. Some people need more love than criticism and she is not the only one. There is gentle correction and there is just nitpicking and reading into things.

Someone said once not to use satirical humor on the internet through text, because there are people in the world who have satire blindness. They'll take it seriously. The same people who are blind to satirical humor are, in my opinion, the same ones to take everything seriously to an extreme level that it's not meant to be, or have a very odd ability to wind up whatever you said into some abstract impression in their own mind. It's likely not the reality but it's what they see.

When people get themselves tangled up in a net, I tend to let them do it. They can fight themselves. I didn't put them there. If they started it, they want to be there. They like it.

Maybe after a while they will figure out what the problem is or discover something really cool.

 

[Rita]

A little too much vinegar and not enough honey. Some people need more love than criticism and she is not the only one. There is gentle correction and there is just nitpicking and reading into things.

Someone said once not to use satirical humor on the internet through text, because there are people in the world who have satire blindness. They'll take it seriously. The same people who are blind to satirical humor are, in my opinion, the same ones to take everything seriously to an extreme level that it's not meant to be, or have a very odd ability to wind up whatever you said into some abstract impression in their own mind. It's likely not the reality but it's what they see.

When people get themselves tangled up in a net, I tend to let them do it. They can fight themselves. I didn't put them there. If they started it, they want to be there. They like it.

Maybe after a while they will figure out what the problem is or discover something really cool.

I will have to think on what you have said, I am not sure I see many as using satire as it does often come across as being serious, although I can think of at least one member who is always using satire to have digs at other members.
My son is on Reddit and there are many groups that seem to take offence at anything and they are always playing the victim card, I use to be a ‘ victim ‘ myself. Oh there were real reasons for that and I was a victim, but the challenge was to not stay a victim when it was the right time to move on and become a survivor, then to move onto be a victor ( think I am still in that mode of transition !! Lol )
I must admit that it was easier being a victim as I could make excuses not to take on board responsibility ......
and blame everyone else around me for the issues.
@April, this is just a general observation within the subject that you have raised it’s not a personal dig at you or anyone else. I guess what I am saying is that not everyone that raises an issue and complains is playing victim, but it can and does happen. Rita

 

[Brakelite]

I remember a bumper sticker from the 1970s.
If you feel far from God, guess who moved.

 

[Tone]

What will the next drama queen thread be titled?
Stay tuned......it's totally thrilling!!
5 year old has tantrum....look out!!

Some boys act this way when they have a crush on a girl...

 

[Truther]

And that is because a lot of you on here have been really judgmental with me and pushy. I've run into people like this in real life and it's caused me to backslide and turn into somebody that I don't really like. I am really afraid of being turned of Christianity again because I honestly don't want that to happen, but when you constantly have people judging you that have absolutely no business judging you in the first place you tend to want to run away. Currently watching this video to remind me to not let anybody come in-between me and Jesus. @Devin Wintch, @lforrest, @Heart2Soul, @JohnDB,.. you guys should see this thread.

Backslide over the internet?

Pick a ground now...


3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear....


19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

 

[Taken]

And that is because a lot of you on here have been really judgmental with me and pushy. I've run into people like this in real life and it's caused me to backslide and turn into somebody that I don't really like. I am really afraid of being turned of Christianity again because I honestly don't want that to happen, but when you constantly have people judging you that have absolutely no business judging you in the first place you tend to want to run away. Currently watching this video to remind me to not let anybody come in-between me and Jesus.

Hi-

Scripture speaks of unbelievers, the unsure, the good, the Wicked, the Evil, followers, believers, those who only believe in God, those who believe in the Lord God Almighty, those who are forgiven, those who keep asking OVER and OVER for forgiveness they have already received, those who have become Converted...etc.

In Brief- All Scripture is True.
Every single person is described in Scripture.
Every single person can read in Scripture, and discover what APPLIES to them...
And, IF they like that Application, or not.
And, IF they Like that Application...okay.
And, IF that don't Like that Application...
There is Instruction on HOW TO CHANGE, what Applies TO THEM.

The path we "choose", is a Journey.
The "Journey", is the "options" we learn along the way, that WE choose, to "make Apply to us...or Not".

Point being friend- IS... the path, the options,
"YOU" choose IS about "YOU".
•The "words" another "says" to "stray" YOU from "a Scripturally Good option/Application";
Should be "examined closely".

•IF, you have Heartfully Chosen, "CONVERSION IN Christ"... Nothing whatsoever, another says in "judgement" about you, can "CHANGE", the Application. "That you ARE Converted IN Christ; (have a Restored soul and have a Born Again spirit).

And THAT ^ IS your Reasonable Service unto The Lord God.

Rom 12:
[1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

There certainly are "other services" an individual "can do".
And any addition "services" (Works) an individual "does" is "recorded/accounted in Heavens books"...and the "rewards"/acknowledgement, are "given an individual".... when "the Son of man" returns to Earth.

Matt 16:
[27] For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Rev 22:
[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Men tend to "judge" harshly, and the response is "hurt" feelings, and then "can" set that man on a "questioning of his own Beliefs"...

DECIDE your own "Conviction/CONVERSION" path "IN" Christ...and remember, once Converted...that IS your Reasonable Service;
Done Deal...no one, no man, no words, can CHANGE THAT.

Remember- Thereafter every Individual...can choose To DO as they Please...(and all men do).
And NOT all of our choices..."are" glorifying to Works unto God.

More specifically- "listening to rap music, cussing, accompanied with seeing naked flesh flaunting"...definately, is not a glorifying (Service) unto to God...(which I am guessing) may have lead to this thread.

Point being- Even those rejecting your LIKE of particular videos....they also have a "Things", they LIKE and do...that does not "Glorify God".
Gossiping, watching football for hours on end, cheating spouses, giving children freedom to raise themselves by World influences, making Governments their highest Authority, volunteering for genetically modifying their bodily DNA, penning animals then starving them, teaching lies as truths, on and on...
• Everyone has their own Actions/Works , that does NOT Glorify God.

NOT one iota of "those" things...CAN "change" (undo); a man's Conversion IN Christ.

•The Point being...Works we do that Glorifies God...are Rewarded, by God.
•The Works we do...that do not Glorify God...
shall be burned, by God
... Billions of "Works" shall be "burned"...
Buildings, Extorted gains, corrupt cities, fields with stolen animals grazing, sorrow from feeling from being cheated, Lie to...burned/ gone.

•That which is Rewarded, is Reasonable Service...and Every Work that Glorifies God.

1 Cor 3:
[15] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So... please don't take Criticism of others upon yourself, and carry that baggage around.

You know your Choices, your standing, your conversion, your Works that Glorify God, or shall be burned...
And everyone else is in the Same boat.
Don't let Anyone steal your joy.
God has the Converted "covered".

God Bless,
Taken

 

[Wrangler]

Really? Then are you sorry for making me feel like this?

April_Rose, it is never a good idea to give anyone the power to make you feel a certain way.

 

[Wrangler]

There is gentle correction and there is just nitpicking and reading into things

Correction is 2nd. The 1st point is there is a standard of right and wrong, whether we like it or not. I would not be correcting someone by pointing out, say, murder, is wrong.

I watched a movie on Netflix about the Rapture. The main character killed 3 robbers. The store owner later observed he was not even shaking from the experience. We can nitpick about the difference between killing and murder but there it is.

Although I have not read this thread in detail, I have seen a thread or 2 were April Rose seeks out conflict on what the standard is. Now she is blaming those for making her feel bad. Conflict seekers tend to find conflict, no matter how I love them.

Have a Blessed Day.

 

[April_Rose]

2 Timothy 2 does talk about gentle correction, so we have to keep in mind that it's not our responsibility to be Judgey McJudgers, but we are to correct and help one another grow in the faith. Just like church leaders have to go through church discipline. So if a Christian feels like they need to bring something up, it is in their responsibility to do so..

The problem is that a lot of people on this forum do not know how to do this and simply state their opinion that I should do this or that but if I'm clearly not interested in listening them that it is my choice to do so and just move on. Simply just disagreeing with somebody and completely judging them are two entirely different things to me.

Hey April. I am glad you are here and sorry you feel this way. If you feel like people can make you turn away from Christ, I would not come on here. Come on at a stronger place in your walk with God. A forum is not worth walking away from God.

Umm,.. for the record I'm not actually walking away from God I'm just having certain doubts and questioning Christianity and what it actually means to be a Christian because the way I have been treated by other Christians. I started this thread because I don't want to make the same mistakes I did when I was a teenager and walk away from Christ. I was looking for guidance and help and I definitely don't want to leave the forum either,.. I've made way too many friends on here and I like it here and for the most part I don't have any problems,.. there's just a few select members on here that give me problems and I wonder if they are truly representing Christ by the way they treat me.

Right this is the bit I don’t think your will like, do you realise that you equally say things to others that are negative , even on this thread. You don’t like another member, but because he annoyed you you retaliated ...........you have done this on other threads.
Sometimes we don’t like others having a go at us but we often have a go at others and don’t see a problem with it. Have you considered how your own words impact other members here. We all impact one another, even if we don’t like to admit it.
Rita

Umm,.. I'm pretty sure that I already stated in here that I'm not completely innocent when I started fighting back with the one guy that was giving me trouble. However, I never actually judge anybody because I am so laid back and more spiritual and religious that I could care less what people do with their own personal lives. I mean, I don't like sin any less than the rest of you do,.. but why should I get into somebody else's business? That's between them and God. It has absolutely nothing to do with me and I'm not going to be judged for the sins of somebody else, I'm going to be judged for my own. Sure I love talking about Jesus and what He's done for me but it's not my job for me to force Him on people and He doesn't want to force Himself on anybody else either.

I didn’t see April as ‘ abandoning Jesus ‘ , more a case of not liking how his people are acting and abandoning them ! ( Christianity ) However I may have interpreted the OP wrongly.
I left ‘ the church ‘ because of all its hypocrisy and pharasaic attitudes , but I didn’t leave ‘ the real church’ or my relationship with Jesus ..... maybe that influences how I see a slight difference.
Rita

A little too much vinegar and not enough honey. Some people need more love than criticism and she is not the only one. There is gentle correction and there is just nitpicking and reading into things.

Exactly!

Some boys act this way when they have a crush on a girl...

I would rather kiss a warty old toad than him even if I wasn't engaged and even if I was the last woman on earth. Than all mankind would end with us.

Although I have not read this thread in detail, I have seen a thread or 2 were April Rose seeks out conflict on what the standard is. Now she is blaming those for making her feel bad. Conflict seekers tend to find conflict, no matter how I love them.

It sort of sounds like you're calling me a troll and most everybody on here knows that's not true. (At least not anymore as I was a long time ago. Now I just make mistakes and don't purposely try to upset anybody,.. even if they're jerks to me I don't mean to get upset and angry with them no matter how much they tick me off.)

 

[DuckieLady]

Correction is 2nd. The 1st point is there is a standard of right and wrong, whether we like it or not. I would not be correcting someone by pointing out, say, murder, is wrong.

I watched a movie on Netflix about the Rapture. The main character killed 3 robbers. The store owner later observed he was not even shaking from the experience. We can nitpick about the difference between killing and murder but there it is.

Although I have not read this thread in detail, I have seen a thread or 2 were April Rose seeks out conflict on what the standard is. Now she is blaming those for making her feel bad. Conflict seekers tend to find conflict, no matter how I love them.

Have a Blessed Day.

Right, but I mean there's two different types of correction. Gentle and critical, but I don't mean things like murder as you stated. I mean about things that specifically exist on this forum.

And I don't mean you, @Wrangler, but generally on here and I'm addressing as a whole, in defense of @April_Rose , I do get what she's saying. I'm just going to be blunt in this area. There are times on here when people are too forward with their correction and it isn't encouraging or building someone up, and I can see where it would be more discouraging.

So to be clear in what she's talking about, she's saying that people are overly critical and it's clear that she isn't feeling loving correction or feeling motives of concern. She feels picked on. We can't just go with the idea that someone is "too soft." Sometimes people are too hard.

Paul writes in Corinthians, "I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready."

We see the same kind of theme in Hebrews 5:12, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!"

Paul was well aware that there are things that people just aren't ready for in their walk. Sometimes a person has to reach a certain stage in order to digest certain things. If a person hasn't reached an age for certain things, they'll choke! The expectation is sometimes way too high for a level that they're not ready for.

Someone years age gave me the example of the creation of a katana sword. In order to create the katana sword, when it enters the furnace, the heat can't be too high - it will destroy the sword. It has to be introduced slowly, then the heat increases, and later it is tested in the dark!

Holy Spirit only knows what temperature a person is ready for and what they need. Sometimes our attempt at being the furnace is just too hot. We don't know when we're being too hot or not enough. Sometimes prayer and letting the Holy Spirit take over is better, especially if we can't lovingly invite a person in and say, "Hey, I noticed you're going through X... I want to give you an example just to help you a bit so that you can chew on it and see how it is for you."

We can't just attack someone and expect them to shape up on command. That can be hurtful, discouraging, and damaging. And sometimes that isn't the fault of the other person, that's our fault for being too harsh. Some of the people here (in general) need to just step it back a little bit and just focus more on love than trying to "fix" everything.

 

[Wrangler]

It sort of sounds like you're calling me a troll and most everybody on here knows that's not true. (At least not anymore as I was a long time ago. Now I just make mistakes and don't purposely try to upset anybody,.. even if they're jerks to me I don't mean to get upset and angry with them no matter how much they tick me off.)

April_Rose, I am not calling you a troll and apologize if that is how it came across (plus, I do not think one can troll their own thread).

If I may, stop grinding your axe with others. Your peace does not come from the approval of others but the divine Spirit of God dwelling in you.

Much Love

 

[April_Rose]

Thank you both I appreciate that,.. but yeah people have started their own trolling threads on here before for the record I've seen it. Though that is mostly because they're angry at God and I'm not. I'm not even upset with Him. Why should I be when none of this is His fault that I'm feeling like this? It really hurts me when (not you guys) I am seeking advice, help, and wisdom and I even get harassed for simply doing just that.

 

[Wrangler]

There are times on here when people are too forward with their correction and it isn't encouraging or building someone up

Agreed.

I think it was April_Rose who said recently that people should stop turning non-debate threads into debates.

On another side a woman shared that her husband died this week. Like April_Rose, this woman made many personal posts over the years and the online community came out to help her in a way that brought glory to God.

I pray we collectively can do that for April_Rose here.

 

[April_Rose]

Btw,.. I'm completely aware of the fact that even when I get upset with God I'm the real problem not Him.

 

[April_Rose]

I think it was April_Rose who said recently that people should stop turning non-debate threads into debates.

And why people are allowed to do this is still beyond me. It's trolling and bullying people when all you do is nitpick and point out every flaw with them.

 

[Wrangler]

We can't just go with the idea that someone is "too soft." Sometimes people are too hard.

My pastor who just retired once said telling people to stop being soft is not Biblical and that God wants us to be emotional and soft.

 

[April_Rose]

Well,.. at least I just started seeing @Wrangler as a friend.

 

[Tone]

I would rather kiss a warty old toad than him even if I wasn't engaged and even if I was the last woman on earth. Than all mankind would end with us.

Love's the only good second-hand drug...

 

[DuckieLady]

My pastor who just retired once said telling people to stop being soft is not Biblical and that God wants us to be emotional and soft.

"Milk and not solid food."

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." - Galations 6:1

So there's a natural Biblical healthy balance there of don't get caught up in the same things if it arrives, but also we can't just outright start rebuking them and discouraging them entirely. Being verbally abusive doesn't get us anywhere. If someone is hurting, we have an equal responsibility to listen and find out what is on their heart.

Thank you both I appreciate that,.. but yeah people have started their own trolling threads on here before for the record I've seen it. Though that is mostly because they're angry at God and I'm not. I'm not even upset with Him. Why should I be when none of this is His fault that I'm feeling like this? It really hurts me when (not you guys) I am seeking advice, help, and wisdom and I even get harassed for simply doing just that.

I think @Mayflower had a good point and she's right. Proverbs 24:3, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." I would be using that ignore button a lot.

You really want to protect your faith and get into studying on your own, too. (If you're not already.) Take in what you can because it can't be taken from you. People can rob you of everything from your money to your time, but if you have to establish roots so that they can't take your faith from you.

"And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away." - Mark 4:17

So things will come and go but the basic message in Mark is get you some ROOTS! Strong ones. Be a tree.


Keep in mind, people forget that to get the level that they were at it probably took 10-15 years of practice and studying to see things the way they do, and then they want to just get everyone at their level. Well, if it took God 10-15 years to instill that in them, why do they think they can do it for someone else in five minutes through verbal abuse ? It took that long for a reason.