My last thread here

[JeffR]

Hello folks, i just want to say a few things before going silent as i ought.

For the last few days i stumbled upon a site which offers freebies, i indulged mightily, there's not just Reformed theology i'm collecting and hoping to read for the rest of my life.

There is a full life time's worth of reading now, i can't think of anything else out there that i want!! Except some ongoing series like the Crossway Owen, and Mastricht. And upcoming sets of Burgess and Rutherford. However i prefer to keep most of my books in my kindle.

I will always be checking here to see how a certain author stacks up with you guys, and to see if anything new is translated via AI or whatever.

I will be completely without any social interaction on the internet now, i will not be saying anything, i will be learning, and whatever i have to say will be just to myself, only if i acquire solid actual knowledge and some wisdom would i feel warranted to speak publicly again.

I am extremely excited about my readings, and the more i express that the more warning signs may emanate from me, and that's not the issue really, it's just that feeling guilt will impede on my journey of learning.

I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone here with guidance in this, you won't know when you've helped this silent free book snatcher, but know that you are not just helping me but hundreds of visitors of this site.

Thank you for your time also, and may you experience great things in your walk. ---- Jeff November 3, 2025

 

[davejonescue]

Have a good one brother. And you are doing the right thing as long as you are not a hermit in your own community. Many of us would probably do well to not to spend so much time online, and I too am thinking about going McMahen or Kistler; that is, just posting a resource and going back black. I got more books than I could ever read, and aint read a one of them....... That needs to change. G.B. and enjoy your studies.

 

[JeffR]

We are surely in that time Daniel spoke of when he says Knowledge shall increase. Thank you too brother!! For faith matters I am pretty much cut off, the church we go to requires driving, i'm not a driver and I get scared being in a car with dad driving. Life can continue when alone, for I merely need to save money in order to use Taxis and a delivery grocery service.

I must directly say a thank you to you, who I am led to believe gave me Amandus Polanus and others to read, THANKS!!

I am exploring the whole of Christendom, and going back to what the trustworthy sources from our Reformed heritage says, my method may be highly unorthodox, so the less I spread my nonsense out there where others can be privy to it can be snuffed out. It's like having so much gathered, much at no cost implies very strongly to my senses that the "price" I must pay is to cut myself off from active conversation, a kind of vow of silence, while I drink and feast on the books at my disposal. Which is for me a little hard, for I am inclined to boast about what I have rather than living out the good they offer. May that change for me and then I could live with myself while communicating with others, and it is with others that proper growth happens, so all I say here be it known isn't to be seen as containing any value. For entertainment purposes only.

 

[Pictet]

We are surely in that time Daniel spoke of when he says Knowledge shall increase. Thank you too brother!! For faith matters I am pretty much cut off, the church we go to requires driving, i'm not a driver and I get scared being in a car with dad driving. Life can continue when alone, for I merely need to save money in order to use Taxis and a delivery grocery service.

If this is the case, I hope and pray that you'll find some strong, regular fellowship. We all need that! You are right about the temptations of talking online... but it's better to risk some temptations than to cut yourself off from the fellowship you can have - whether here or elsewhere. We all need to speak about our faith with other brothers and sisters! It sounds like your life situation makes it really hard to get real life fellowship...

I am exploring the whole of Christendom, and going back to what the trustworthy sources from our Reformed heritage says, my method may be highly unorthodox, so the less I spread my nonsense out there where others can be privy to it can be snuffed out. It's like having so much gathered, much at no cost implies very strongly to my senses that the "price" I must pay is to cut myself off from active conversation, a kind of vow of silence, while I drink and feast on the books at my disposal. Which is for me a little hard, for I am inclined to boast about what I have rather than living out the good they offer. May that change for me and then I could live with myself while communicating with others, and it is with others that proper growth happens, so all I say here be it known isn't to be seen as containing any value. For entertainment purposes only.

It's really great to hear you are digging into our reformed heritage, and you are clearly passionate about it, which is very encouraging.
I do know what you mean by the temptation to boast. But we are made for fellowship, and the danger of pride is far worse alone, when do not have the opinions and corrections of others to keep us humble. And this is doubly so when we are working hard at learning. Nothing is better for shutting us down when 'inclined to boast' than talking to others who tell us we are talking nonsense.

It's so easy as you dig into deep theology on your own to go deep down rabbit holes that lead the wrong way. It's so easy to get weird ideas and think they are mainstream. It's so easy to go astray. A quick conversation with others can really help. So hoping that if you are not posting here, you'll find other places in person or at least online where you can interact?

 

[JeffR]

If this is the case, I hope and pray that you'll find some strong, regular fellowship. We all need that! You are right about the temptations of talking online... but it's better to risk some temptations than to cut yourself off from the fellowship you can have - whether here or elsewhere. We all need to speak about our faith with other brothers and sisters! It sounds like your life situation makes it really hard to get real life fellowship...

It's really great to hear you are digging into our reformed heritage, and you are clearly passionate about it, which is very encouraging.
I do know what you mean by the temptation to boast. But we are made for fellowship, and the danger of pride is far worse alone, when do not have the opinions and corrections of others to keep us humble. And this is doubly so when we are working hard at learning. Nothing is better for shutting us down when 'inclined to boast' than talking to others who tell us we are talking nonsense.

It's so easy as you dig into deep theology on your own to go deep down rabbit holes that lead the wrong way. It's so easy to get weird ideas and think they are mainstream. It's so easy to go astray. A quick conversation with others can really help. So hoping that if you are not posting here, you'll find other places in person or at least online where you can interact?

Thank you for that wise counsel. Yes i find it near impossible to talk with others in general besides faith matters. I find these days that with every single thing i say on the record is lamentable. It feels very much the most needed thing to "set my house in order" in a proverbial sense before being a part of anything using real time communication.

I thank you again for your comment, and as a word of compliance from me would stipulate that a time must ensue immediately with a temporary isolation. God bless!! ---- Jeff 3:43am November 4, 2025 ..... i'm dating this in the hopes that i am marking anew the temporary terminus of communicating with others.

 

[John Nyberg]

Just remember Ecclesiastes 4:12

“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

 

[JeffR]

Appreciated, and it reminds me that the idea there came long before Shakespeare!! I can't help however seeing that early scene in Kurasawa's Ran based on King Lear.

So i'll make this my last statement following my ackowledgement and thanks for your comment:

When i say that everything i say is lamentable i mean not my sincere thankfulness for those who have hopefully not wasted time responding to my input.

However the whole saying anything in the 1st place is questionable. Why make a whole thread about not saying anything anymore? I feel i must make some kind of sound reasoning about that.

What is taking place now is not just an increase of many more resources, but also a seeing some value in other traditions within Christianity, and maybe it's because i've rarely communicated with other believers ((fellowship)) in my whole life, but i have this sense of being careful in how i talk about certain things.

The darkness of my lack of understanding, of truths being just scratched upon, and a need to prove to myself some resiliency in a safety zone of privacy, with constant reference to what is seen as trustworthy, never what i come up with myself.

I see wrongs in what i say just above, the inescapableness of personal error, the subtleties as glaring when there's silence and stillness in the inner self, that silence and stillness that isn't there when partaking in anything communal.

So in this long winded manner i come to the reason for this thread idea, not that i'm anyone important or anything like that, but i'm riveted by the material gathered and a profound need to be alone with them, and thus the need to make this decision official, even though i rarely do anything here in a participatory way, to nevertheless make this crystal clear to myself that something is shifting for me, which even if it looks wrong, is perhaps a step in a better direction, if the personal experience is improved, which i make no comment about here besides the fact that it's non-sustainable on all levels.

There cannot be coming from me any specific opinions until this period of silence and stillness takes root. It certainly looks monastic i imagine, and there is a factor of that, but in my opinion which i will fit in here as it feels to be called for, is that a monastic way is merely a pill that is taken for a temporary relief of the sickness of all prior internet activities where i partook in a noticeable manner. Not just here, which in comparioson to other places was minimal.

Long winded because i want as much comprehension to seep through my own understanding by saying something officially before the unique period of time is actualized by the quietude and stillness. Of being under good teachings, and comparing it with other parts of the whole of this whole faith that is so compartmentalized. --- 6:07am November 4, 2025

 

[John Nyberg]

Jeff, may the Lord bless you in your studies. I admit I do not entirely understand this post. I am all for taking time off from online activity, that is a great purpose. My prayer for you is that you grow in communion with the fellowship of believers, whatever that looks like for you right now.

Romans 12:4-5

 

[SolaScriptura]

This ain't your last post here. Your subsequent interactions and comments proves that you want the interaction.

 

[LanceJ]

This ain't your last post here. Your subsequent interactions and comments proves that you want the interaction.

To be fair, he said last thread not last comment lol

 

[JeffR]

This ain't your last post here. Your subsequent interactions and comments proves that you want the interaction.

I do appreciate those who reply and wish I could talk more fruitfully with others, maybe in time, if the Lord wills it. ty
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To be fair, he said last thread not last comment lol

RIGHT!! I just like to use each comment as a further opportunity to say something, so that my humility will overflow thus empowering me in part to make good on my last thread idea, at least for a goodly amount of time, that will not be wasted like earlier in my personal experience. --- 8:04am