That is how I feel...like I have been raped spiritually.
I joined CC with the hope of discussing and having fellowship with brothers ans sisters in Christ in order to fulfill a desire to learn and grow in the Lord.....but there is so much doctrine pushing and tearing ones belief down that over time this has begun to take its toll on me. Who are you people??...why do you take such delight in proving your point of view as being THE right way?? why do you insist on treating posters as enemies and not as a living, breathing soul like yourself?? do you even believe that we are people as well??
I find myself confused and question my understanding of some scriptures. I had the confidence to approach The Throne of God boldly before joining here but that has changed so much that at times I don't even know what to pray for.
My conclusion is that there is a spirit that is not of God operating with freedom right here in these chat rooms and everyone embraces it with open arms....LORD HELP US IN JESUS NAME i pray.
Graybeard you are amazing, I Love you, and God Loves you! I just posted this on a similar thread and thought it would be helpful here too:
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I am going to spend some time writing to everyone about what a real Christian is:
John 13:35(NASB)(emphasis mine)
[FONT="]35[/FONT]"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another."
In the original Greek:
35ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε ἐὰν
ἀγάπην ἔχητε ἐν ἀλλήλοις
ἀγάπη
[FONT="]= agapē[/FONT] (a form of the word
[FONT="]agapaō[/FONT]
John 13:34(NASB)(emphasis mine)
[FONT="]34[/FONT]"A new
commandment I give to you, that you
love one another, even
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
In the original Greek:
34ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς
ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους
ἀγαπᾶτε =
[FONT="]agapaō[/FONT]
Where else is this word for Love used in the Bible? Jesus uses this word as the word for His Love, and it is used 147 times in the Bible in the following verses:
Matthew 5:43,5:44,5:46,6:24,19:19,22:37,22:39
Mark 10:21,12:30,12:31,12:33
Luke 6:27,6:32,6:35,7:5,7:42,7:47,10:27,11:43,16:13
John 3:16,3:19,3:35,8:42,10:17,11:5,12:43,13:1,13:23,13 :34,14:15,14:21,14:23,14:24,14:28,
14:31,15:9,15:12,15:17,17:23,17:24,17:26,19:26,21: 7,21:15,21:16,21:20
Romans 8:28,8:37,9:13,9:25,13:8,13:9,
1 Corinthians 2:9,8:3,13:1,13:2,13:3,13:4,13:8,13:13
2 Corinthians 9:7,11:11,12:15
Galatians 2:20,5:14,
Ephesians 1;6,2:4,5:2,5:25,5:28,5:33,6:24
Colossians 3:12,3:19
1 Thessalonians 1:4,4:9
2 Thessalonians 2:13,2:16
2 Timothy 4:8,4:10
Hebrews 1:9,12:6
James 1:12,2:5,2:8
1 Peter 1:8,1:22,2:17,3:10
2 Peter 2:15
1 John 2:10,2:15,3:11,3:14,3:18,3:23,4:7,4:8,4:10,4:11,4: 12,4:19,4:20,4:21,5:1,5:2
2 John 1:1,1:5
3 John 1:1
Revelation 1:5,3:9,12:11,20:9
What is the bottom line? If you have taken the time to read even half of these verses, you will realize that Jesus expects us to Love each other with His Love, not the “Love” that we are capable of ourselves. So, what does this mean? If you aren’t willing to give your life and die for the person you are responding to in this thread and every brother and sister in Christ on this website, then you don’t truly know Jesus(
1 John 4:7-12,1 John 3:10-11,1 John 3:23
, 1 John 4:21, Eph 6:24, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8)
So in other words if we think we are in a place to correct others and are not loving each other in exactly the same way God Loves us, then we are deceived.
I know many of may be pulling your hair out right now, maybe even ready to stone me. But if you read the Bible in the original language, this is what it says. There is no way around this. If you are enraged or angry about this post, then there is probably pride in you, because you have relied on your knowledge of the Lord and your Love for your knowledge of the Lord, rather than Love for the Lord Himself. Most of the time this is due to attributing your righteousness to your knowledge of the Bible and of God.
If you are worried because of the standard Jesus set, about whether you are even capable of being a Christian, you are in a good place and need not worry if you are a good Christian:
Matthew 5:3(NASB)
[FONT="]3[/FONT][FONT="]"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[/FONT]
James 4:6(NASB)(emphasis mine)
6[FONT="]But He gives a greater grace. Therefore {it} says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD,
BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."[/FONT]
It is in this attitude of humility, realizing that you can’t take credit for even one inch of your walk or relationship with God(John 6:44, 1 John 4:19, Romans 12:3), that God grants us the Grace to walk with Him. When you walk in pride, God opposes you. But to those who are humble He grants His Grace, and His Holy Spirit gives His fruit to you(Galatians 5:22) to be able to Love and do as He commanded. It is by positioning your heart to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in you, that you are even capable of Loving like God Loves.
Though it is true that those who have not intentionally, in their hearts, invited Jesus into their life as their Lord and Savior; have no atonement for their sin, you can also be deceived as a Christian and have your efforts mean nothing to God. And whether you are Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or "Christian”, without actually knowing Jesus(evidenced by God’s Love in you for others), your efforts mean nothing.
[FONT="]John 13:35(NASB)[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]35[/FONT]"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
1 Corinthians 13:2(NASB)
2If I have
the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.