Is there any point...

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

Today I signed into another forum I often visit and saw this topic: http://forums.starkingdoms.com/viewtopic.php?t=23895

Is there any point saying anything at all? Should I just leave it or should I say something before this person goes on further? If I am to say something what should I say. I do not want to be seen to be attacking a 'Christian Brother'

 

[Average Joey]

AT first after seeing what I saw I would say no.I changed my mind as I kept reading.They obviously are saying that stuff to entertain themselves.Give them just one long post on the Glory and Soveriegnty of Our God and that he should not be mocked.I pray is you post eyes are opened by the words the Lord gives you to speak.God bless you in Christ Jesus.

 

[JohnV]

Fraser:

The urge is there that one can change the world by logging on to different message boards. But it doesn't work that way. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Some advice:

Treat your message board with respect. It is a community of sorts, and consists of real people. Though most may be on message boards to fill cyber space with junk, yet what you do is up to you. You are communicating with real people, even if they don't see themselves that way. Treat it like a community.

Don't return evil for evil. Answering one lie with another, though it sounds better, is still wrong.

Arguing with a person is an act of love. If it is anything else it is out of selfishness. So if you're attacking the person instead of helping him, then don't do it.

The funny thing about truth is that it is undefeatable. It is so easy to defeat someone's false beliefs just by letting him destroy it himself. If all the world claims that God is dead, He is yet as alive as if everyone believed in Him. Nothing has changed or can be changed about God; but a lot has changed about the person making the claim. Keep your eyes on that instead. Then you are helping him. Just let the argument defeat itself as you're helping him, and keep nudging them to that recognition with good and helpful arguments.

Do a check on yourself to be sure that you are using your time wisely. If you need to be on a message board just to be doing something, then you're likely hooked to your computer. Same with if you're doing nothing but playing PS2, those 100 hr. games. Go for a walk, or read a book. Or talk to someone.

There is always another message board that needs the gospel. Don't get bent out of shape over this one. If, however, you do take on the responsibilities of answering the fool, then be aware that it is easy to become like the fool, but with Christian jargon. Winning arguments doesn't do it by itself; winning hearts does. So pray a lot for the people you are trying to reach. And type out the things that will help to that end, showing the character of Christ in your own behaviour, bringing them closer to a knowledge of God and of themselves.

 

[Average Joey]

Originally posted by JohnV
Fraser:

The urge is there that one can change the world by logging on to different message boards. But it doesn't work that way. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Some advice:

Treat your message board with respect. It is a community of sorts, and consists of real people. Though most may be on message boards to fill cyber space with junk, yet what you do is up to you. You are communicating with real people, even if they don't see themselves that way. Treat it like a community.

Don't return evil for evil. Answering one lie with another, though it sounds better, is still wrong.

Arguing with a person is an act of love. If it is anything else it is out of selfishness. So if you're attacking the person instead of helping him, then don't do it.

The funny thing about truth is that it is undefeatable. It is so easy to defeat someone's false beliefs just by letting him destroy it himself. If all the world claims that God is dead, He is yet as alive as if everyone believed in Him. Nothing has changed or can be changed about God; but a lot has changed about the person making the claim. Keep your eyes on that instead. Then you are helping him. Just let the argument defeat itself as you're helping him, and keep nudging them to that recognition with good and helpful arguments.

Do a check on yourself to be sure that you are using your time wisely. If you need to be on a message board just to be doing something, then you're likely hooked to your computer. Same with if you're doing nothing but playing PS2, those 100 hr. games. Go for a walk, or read a book. Or talk to someone.

There is always another message board that needs the gospel. Don't get bent out of shape over this one. If, however, you do take on the responsibilities of answering the fool, then be aware that it is easy to become like the fool, but with Christian jargon. Winning arguments doesn't do it by itself; winning hearts does. So pray a lot for the people you are trying to reach. And type out the things that will help to that end, showing the character of Christ in your own behaviour, bringing them closer to a knowledge of God and of themselves.

The impression I got was that person who first wrote "God loves you" wrote it mockingly not seriously.Read his follow up posts to see what I mean.It just seemed he wrote it to make people laugh.

 

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

Actually the person who started the thread is a 'fundamentalist' Southern Baptist who is highly out spoken in his right-wing views but he is also a staunch Arminian.

 

[JohnV]

Joe:

That's quite beside the point. The question was whether it was worth the effort. I was addressing that. One can never tell: outright unbelievers may be easier to reach than committed Christians who are really committed to a theology that keeps them in a bondage of misunderstanding. Or it may be that the commitment to unbelief is so strong that it is easier to pass a camel through an eye of a needle than to convince them. What we do have some control of is our own commitment to God and to His Word, what we do with it from moment to moment in our conversations with others.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Seems like a waist of time.

 

[satz]

I have seen quite a lot of this kind of stuff on other secular boards i visit. Some are obviously just trolls looking to stir up a mess, but others could possibly be genuine. nonetheless, it seems like throwing your pearls before swine to me. Unless you have a pre-established relationship with the others there, i don;t think that unbelievers who go to a board to discuss video games will really give a hoot about someone sprouting on about religion.

 

[Average Joey]

I stand rebuked.

 

[JohnV]

Corrected, Joe, not rebuked. I did not mean to rebuke you. But maybe you can help me: is a waist of time a really big wristwatch?

 

[Average Joey]

Originally posted by JohnV
Corrected, Joe, not rebuked. I did not mean to rebuke you. But maybe you can help me: is a waist of time a really big wristwatch?

I didn`t take it personally if that is what you were thinking.