Hi, all.
I'm new to this forum, and I'd like to take a moment to tell you all why I came here and what happened when I got here, because I think it's important.
I came to Christ a little over a year ago. I came to the cross out of desperation. My life had fallen apart and I was very close to taking a drink (after more than 8 years of sobriety.) I was also suicidal and hopeless. I was saved by Christ, not just in spirit, but in my daily life, and He saved my marriage too. Christ literally saved me from death.
Today, a little over a year later, I am strong in my faith. Every moment of my life is a testimony to the saving grace of God in Christ. But I'm still new to my faith, and I have questions. This morning I decided to seek a place where I could ask those questions, so I began seeking out Christian forums.
It took only minutes for me to find forums where I might have been able to find some of the answers I sought, but I rejected every one of them, and almost this one too, because of what I saw on the front pages. On forum after forum, even on this very forum, the first things I saw had nothing to do with Christ or God or the Holy Spirit. It was all politics, the realm of Man, not of God. None of it was at all helpful to anyone, just a bunch of anger and name calling and "I'm more American than you." People posting links to articles about masks and politicians and scientific studies that may or may not be valid, that no one can agree on, and people pushing their views to the point of cruelty to others.
Had I not experienced the grace of Christ a year before, these forums would certainly have had me turn away from the church, from God and from Christ out of disgust at how His followers treat one another in these pages. Had I not seen a beautifully written post entitled "A call to calm" I would have closed this page as I did all the other hate-filled pages where Christians have forgotten His message.
I ask my fellow Christians to consider the face we project to the world. Are we a people divided by politics and the workings of man, or are we a people united in Christ? Do we display the grace, love and salvation of our Savior or the anger and hatred of a man-made construct of division according to ideas? Do we offer the love of our God or the hatred of man and our Lord's adversary?
I'm no expert, not by any stretch, but I cannot recall a single instance of Christ taking a political stand, or even speaking of politics at all, except to tell us that the workings of man's government are not those of God. Yes, it's said in the Bible that the government of Israel was appointed by God. I see nothing in the Bible to indicate that that also extended to the Hittites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Roman Empire, United States or anything outside Israel.
Christian forums should be used for the glory of God and Christ, not to debate the wearing of masks or whether Democrats or Republicans are more Christian. Christian forums should bring people closer to God, not push them further away. Christianity is about love, grace and salvation, not hatred, political agendas and conspiracy theories.
Let us pray for one another, that we show the love and mercy of our Lord and not the machinations of His enemies.
I'm new to this forum, and I'd like to take a moment to tell you all why I came here and what happened when I got here, because I think it's important.
I came to Christ a little over a year ago. I came to the cross out of desperation. My life had fallen apart and I was very close to taking a drink (after more than 8 years of sobriety.) I was also suicidal and hopeless. I was saved by Christ, not just in spirit, but in my daily life, and He saved my marriage too. Christ literally saved me from death.
Today, a little over a year later, I am strong in my faith. Every moment of my life is a testimony to the saving grace of God in Christ. But I'm still new to my faith, and I have questions. This morning I decided to seek a place where I could ask those questions, so I began seeking out Christian forums.
It took only minutes for me to find forums where I might have been able to find some of the answers I sought, but I rejected every one of them, and almost this one too, because of what I saw on the front pages. On forum after forum, even on this very forum, the first things I saw had nothing to do with Christ or God or the Holy Spirit. It was all politics, the realm of Man, not of God. None of it was at all helpful to anyone, just a bunch of anger and name calling and "I'm more American than you." People posting links to articles about masks and politicians and scientific studies that may or may not be valid, that no one can agree on, and people pushing their views to the point of cruelty to others.
Had I not experienced the grace of Christ a year before, these forums would certainly have had me turn away from the church, from God and from Christ out of disgust at how His followers treat one another in these pages. Had I not seen a beautifully written post entitled "A call to calm" I would have closed this page as I did all the other hate-filled pages where Christians have forgotten His message.
I ask my fellow Christians to consider the face we project to the world. Are we a people divided by politics and the workings of man, or are we a people united in Christ? Do we display the grace, love and salvation of our Savior or the anger and hatred of a man-made construct of division according to ideas? Do we offer the love of our God or the hatred of man and our Lord's adversary?
I'm no expert, not by any stretch, but I cannot recall a single instance of Christ taking a political stand, or even speaking of politics at all, except to tell us that the workings of man's government are not those of God. Yes, it's said in the Bible that the government of Israel was appointed by God. I see nothing in the Bible to indicate that that also extended to the Hittites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Roman Empire, United States or anything outside Israel.
Christian forums should be used for the glory of God and Christ, not to debate the wearing of masks or whether Democrats or Republicans are more Christian. Christian forums should bring people closer to God, not push them further away. Christianity is about love, grace and salvation, not hatred, political agendas and conspiracy theories.
Let us pray for one another, that we show the love and mercy of our Lord and not the machinations of His enemies.