In Reply to: Re: To Mike posted by OT2 on September 27, 2006 at 22:52:22:
Thanks for the kind response, although I feel I have failed way too much in my lifetime with my tongue...giving an account about my words (Mt.12:36)...more spoken than written...would be quite disadvantageous for me.I had my quarrels, too many, when actually I prefer much more the peace with all/many...there are times, where you have to solve some very decisive matters in life & where the nerves are a bit blank...I marvel at the people who can rest in the Lord in times like this.
I feel at the moment, that the leeway of discussion, the margin is getting very little here on journeys for Christians, as for you & I & also Mr. Don etc.....it's getting little more than a presentation board, where you say what you go through & experience & I guess there's a need for it...I also love good biographies, understanding what people have gone through & how they mastered things....but I actually have too little time to read, that people try yoga & whatnot, when I have tried some of these things myself prior to joining TF, as for me: I don't want to return to my spiritual state prior to TF, neither do I want to return to any state within TF, it's that simple & to have to read how people praise lifestyles I had debunked before joining, is almost an insult...well, it is one...few that seem to understand that...that's why it also hurt me, to have to read on movingon, that quite a lot of SGAs fled to drugs their parents later perceived to be a dead end road, although the hurt in their life is immense, the remedy is false...anyway, a bit sad how history repeats itself.
Somehow I feel at the moment, that I just have too little time to spend with people who don't want to hear the Gospel, neither any part of it & I wonder, whether it's even scriptural to "wate" my time on it.For the past time I perceived this place also to be as a "witness-area" for those coming out of TF or being at the verge of leaving, who wanted to retain their faith in Jesus, supporting the idea, that you can rather follow Jesus outside of TF, as within TF the offenses against sound sccripture are far too many.
At the moment I need to reflect/pray, what is best.Exfam was the first post-TF-lifestyle-board I registered & appeared in & I believe in faithfulness ; ) however it might be a better idea to just stay in email contact with believing exers or appear just on the faith-boards...of which there are so many & at least with one other I am registered, that's where the information is also bountiful/beautiful...a website, where I learned a lot, even if I can't yet agree on everything which is published there.My time is meant for learning, learning of others as well, but I don't need to hear or learn about yoga & the like & thanks, I was 5-6 years in south asia, the economical upcoming region, people I loved a whole lot....but still it depends on a regions reaction to the good news & that is there far from very postive, with some wonderful exceptions.
I guess at times we get heated up, flare up, because we think our credibility, our faith is largely at stake & it becomes a bit of a fleshly
attempt to convince the opponent of the errors of his/her thinking & there are plenty times, where we know/feel, that the other has actually in the light of Christian religion & even science the worse cards....but in the end it might not pay to be so forceful.
I haven't read all the posts here obviously, but
I wonder sometimes too, what about a certain doublestandard?At the same time, it might be good training here for you(me), how to interact with non-believers, since that is really what our aim is, to reach unbelievers...if they show some sign
of wanting to be reached...the last I came to question here with my post to you...
I don't show up here to feed my ego, at least not any more, so it's not about being hurt, rather being heard ...the common denominator is getting too big for my liking, too little reduction to only one common ground: having been in TF