Anyone else sense a spirit of bitterness here?

Grafted In said:

Perhaps I am and just didn't know I was.

Odd thing to post

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Not so odd. It's one of the reasons I'm here. And I asked because I know I'm looking for friends and maybe you are too. This possibility could be explored. Hmm... think about it, eh?

Grafted In said:

Do others see there are well known members of high status and semingly loved by all on CF who, to my thinking, walk on hard nails and whose hearts are as solid as stone?
This troubles me more than I can say.
Just wondered if others found the same to be true.

If this is in the wrong forum I don't really care. Ban me for life if you wish.
CF is a net drag on the things of God. I belong to a couple of secular forums as well as CF. They treat people with far more love and respect than you'll ever find here.

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Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Christ said we shall know the Church by their fruits. And those who are in their sin by their fruits also. There is no doubt everywhere in the world a pod of sinners dedicated to renouncing the truth of God in Christ. They proselytize the adversarial doctrine and by that we know them. John 3:15-16 is clear and irrevocable. So too is Jesus truth in John 10:28, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

The worldly who are opposed to that truth teach its opposite, the doctrine of the adversary that is lord of this world. I.E. eternal life isn't eternal. Salvation isn't sure and eternal. Jesus didn't die to fulfill the promise in John 3:15-16. Those who invoke the name, Lord, Lord, and do such things Jesus said are known to God as false and his word warns of them. They shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven. That's why they work so hard to keep company for themselves here on this one and only Earth they believe in. The kingdom of the flesh.

We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Are we to love Satan and his angels too? Or are we to recognize them and in our armor of God call them out. And stop their false teachings from spreading to those in the body of Christ, the Church.
Those who teach that Jesus was a liar and invoke his name to do so are not saved. We know this because they Bible tells us so.

Sometimes the Saints can be provoked to anger, even Jesus was angry when he overturned the money changers tables because they betrayed the truth of God and made his worship something able to be bought by the god of mammon.
We are mortal and are not perfect. However, we are forgiven.

Don't meet the hate filled , those the Bible calls liars as they teach false doctrines of that which is an enemy of Righteousness. Stay in your peace with Jesus and his Holy Spirit inside you. The Kingdom of God is within.
No one who is of the Kingdom of the Fallen are able to stand against that.

Think of this forum, when there are Christian forums that are for the Church only, as the microcosm of the world you live in. Believers and unbelievers alike in attendance. It is your opportunity to live the truth of Christ and in that way BE the living Testament of Christ and his love.

God Be With You.

Grafted In said:

Do others see there are well known members of high status and semingly loved by all on CF who, to my thinking, walk on hard nails and whose hearts are as solid as stone?
This troubles me more than I can say.
Just wondered if others found the same to be true.

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Yes. "Buyer Beware" (in the market place - a lot of cheap and counterfeit goods, usually made to look good and sold at much higher price than worth).
Test Test Test.... there's no assurance of anything...

Grafted In said:

Do others see there are well known members of high status and semingly loved by all on CF who, to my thinking, walk on hard nails and whose hearts are as solid as stone?
This troubles me more than I can say.
Just wondered if others found the same to be true.

If this is in the wrong forum I don't really care. Ban me for life if you wish.
CF is a net drag on the things of God. I belong to a couple of secular forums as well as CF. They treat people with far more love and respect than you'll ever find here.

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You are not wrong. We seem to be in a time of tribulation perhaps. Its going to be difficult i think. I find myself in a battle and its very hard.

Grafted In said:

Do others see there are well known members of high status and semingly loved by all on CF who, to my thinking, walk on hard nails and whose hearts are as solid as stone?
This troubles me more than I can say.
Just wondered if others found the same to be true.

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it is a very common occurrence on all forums. There is an established clique who support each other, whether they are making sense or not. New kids on the block have to do their time, sucking up to the right people. if they stay long enough, they will be seen as part of the established clique one day. But don't hold your breath.

bettercallpaul said:

it is a very common occurrence on all forums. There is an established clique who support each other, whether they are making sense or not. New kids on the block have to do their time, sucking up to the right people. if they stay long enough, they will be seen as part of the established clique one day. But don't hold your breath.

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I would rather be alone than to join what you just described.

It happens in the workplace too.

Bitterness, arrogance, condescension, unreasonableness...
Yes, i encounter it here regularly.
But i'm also guilty of it..

In other words, its the way of the world.

Hieronymus said:

Bitterness, arrogance, condescension, unreasonableness...
Yes, i encounter it here regularly.
But i'm also guilty of it..

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A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Bad company corrupts good manners. Thats the battle i spoke of.

Im trying to be a better person, not stay the same, or even get worse. A healthy spiritual environment is essential. If the folks running this place dont provide that then what good is it?

What good is it? Salt of the earth comes to mind. Its Ancient Israel all over again.

W2L said:

Im trying to be a better person, not stay the same, or even get worse. A healthy spiritual environment is essential. If the folks running this place dont provide that then what good is it?

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The folks running this place don't provide the members.

Its a great forum. Some great people on here to be honest. You cannot please everyone and some things / people will upset others from time to time. Intentionally and unintentionally.

The Report button is there for a reason!

Only thing that annoys me is that this is a Christian forum but Atheists with massive chips on their shoulders are allowed to insult and mock our beliefs day after day!!

antletems said:

Only thing that annoys me is that this is a Christian forum but Atheists with massive chips on their shoulders are allowed to insult and mock our beliefs day after day!!

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That's why there's the ignore option.
But i agree, it ruins many threads.

Hieronymus said:

The folks running this place don't provide the members.

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I was referring to the members who supposedly run the clubhouse.

if you aren't happy, change sub-forums, I did luckily and it paid off!

Never mind. Yes, its a great forum. I shoul

bettercallpaul said:

if you aren't happy, change sub-forums, I did luckily and it paid off!

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Thats good advice.

Yesterday, one of my pastors was talking about how the snotty haughty guy at the front of the synagogue was looking down his nose at the dirty rotten treasonous anti-Israel tax collector at the back of the church > Luke 18:11. And it looks like we have some number of people claiming to be Christian, but they are busy mainly with looking down their snotty noses at someone else, in politics, instead of first seeing how we ourselves are wrong and making sure people are wise to us!!

This could be because there is a culture of entitlement in the United States. Each person has a vote, but this can make each of us our own worst dictator. And we take it on our own selves to be the experts about what others need to do . . . while we do not have Jesus as our Way of knowing which way to go (Proverbs 3:5-6). Jesus says,

"'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:29)

Because we have not first learned from Jesus, this is why we do not have "rest for your souls". And in our weakness of our own egos, we keep on being weak enough to give in to bitterness and unforgiveness and dominating and controlling lusts for different sorts of pleasure and excitement, and then the frustration of what happens when we try to only use people for what we want, instead of first loving any and all people.

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Instead, our focus can be on trying to make others do what we dictate. And being our own dictators keeps us from being ruled by the Lord Jesus, by means of His peace >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

People disobey how God would take care of us in His peace; and so we miss out on peace. So, we need prayer, to seek You God our Father, for Your correction (Hebrews 12:4-11), of Your love's perfection > 1 John 4:17.

bettercallpaul said:

if you aren't happy, change sub-forums, I did luckily and it paid off!

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Which sub-forum did you switch to?