Trimming my wick and adding fresh oil.

[jchristian]

You are displaying a luxury that you seem to want to deny anyone else.

You have spare time -- you just chose to spend it on the things that interest you. My posts don't interest you, therefore you move on to something that DOES interest you.

Why do you see this as something you have a right to, but not anyone else? Why is choosing what you want to spend time on your God-given right, but if others don't want to spend their spare time on your book, they must be lazy?

Because you seem to think that everyone else should make spending their spare time on your work first priority.

Are they not allowed to choose what they want to do with their spare time, just as you are?

Because I offer something more than excuses. People generally aren't interested in listening to excuses.

 

[seoulsearch]

Because I offer something more than excuses. People generally aren't interested in listening to excuses.

You elevate yourself over everyone else -- this is definitely not going to help you sell books.

Choosing to spend my time learning how to make some extra money rather than listening to a book about the devil and the dinosaurs is not an excuse. Like you, I have a right to choose what I spend my spare time on.

I have a goal I am trying to meet.

Because I don't have kids, and am adopted, I told God that if it would be His will, I'd like to support X number (the number of kids I wanted to have) through my former adoption agency's sponsorship program. God has helped me to the point where I am now able to help nearly twice the number of kids I had originally planned. I specifically ask for the kids who are seen as "unadoptable" -- special needs or "too old" to adopt (most people only want perfectly healthy babies and infants under 2.)

And no, this is not me trying to pat myself on the back or anything stupid like that.

This is just giving an example of what you call an excuse, I call fulfilling the ministry that God has set in my heart.

It truly saddens me that you have no respect for other people's time or interests but your own, or that God might be leading people in a direction that just might not include your book.

 

[LifelongLearner]

It's not just about whether or not I'd find your book confusing; it's also whether or not the reader is interested in the topic, and I have limited free time, which I prefer to spend on the subjects I'm interested in. If you ever write about behavior analysis or investing and options chains (maybe an iron condor -- a type of trade -- might even count as a cousin of the dinosaurs,) I will be sure to pick up a copy.

My calling is primarily talking to people about their lives. Sometimes God has me read or study subjects or hobbies I'm not really into in order to understand someone else better; but at the current time, I don't talk to anyone about the hard sciences or dinosaurs, so I simply have no interest.

I've been following your "The Profane" thread from the start and I do understand the contentiousness you have towards Lynx.

For myself, I'm not lazy, I'm just not drawn to the subject of your book. As a bit of a writer myself, I do understand your frustration. You've put a ton of work into something and want other people to experience it so you won't feel you've wasted all your time or talent -- I get that. I'm a different kind of writer -- my primary means is letters and threads, of which I have written tens of thousands over the years. I have often been told I should write books, a blog, and start a YouTube channel, but my writing is geared towards getting other people talking to each other, not just me yapping, so I stick to letters and threads.

I've personally known two other Christians who wrote books, and a third who was working on a children's book. I don't know if you experienced this, but they each paid about $10,000 of their own money to publish their books and each felt they were inspired by God. They had this image in their heart that they were going to sell tons of copies (not for money, but to lead thousands to Christ.)

In the end, they never earned back even a fraction of what they'd paid for publishing and wound up giving away the stacks of copies they had printed to literally anyone who wouldn't say no. The market is beyond over saturated and I think this is something we writers have to accept from the start -- people may or may not read what we so passionately pour our lives into -- and we have to be ok with that.

I also tend not to read things that someone is heavily promoting themselves, but that's just my own personal choice -- and no, it's not laziness, it's just a choice, and one I have for my own reasons. I grew up in church culture with people self-promoting their work left and right after every other service, so it's a sales tactic I've come to avoid. The two people I knew who published books -- one I had to read for a class; the other I read as a favor to a friend, but they were not books I would have chosen on my own.

If I write something no one responds to, I just go back to the drawing board and start again -- but I know it's much easier with the format I use. I've written, I'm guessing, at least a 1,000 plus threads during my time here and sometimes no one responds. I've sent thousands of letters out over my life and sometimes they just get thrown away and never even read, and that's all right. I do understand how discouraging it can be though, because I've written threads that I poured more work into than the papers I had to write in college.

Now of course I can't claim all my writing is inspired by God, but sometimes there are topics I do feel inspired to write about (sexual abuse being one of them,) because people often pour out their hearts about their most personal struggles. Sometimes I spend hours on a thread no one posts in. And sometimes God will tell me it's because I needed the practice, or because someone needed to read what was written but not respond. I think writers have to accept that perhaps no one will read their work, and be ok with that from the start.

Just as you are telling everyone to read/listen to your work and that they will get something out of it, I could easily tell that you should read all of the threads I put up and then go hunt for my other ones -- because you might find some of them enlightening -- but it would be ridiculous for me to do that. People all have their own tastes, interests, and time limits, and I'm not going to tell them they should read anything I write.

Behaviors, interpersonal relationships, and money management are what I currently study because those are the things people talk to me about the most.

But when people start asking me about dinosaurs and the devil corrupting them, I'll be sure to look up your work.

I'm sure there's an audience out there for that, but I'm not part of it, and I wish you all the best in finding the group that is.

Saw your post about the demise of a little goldfish yesterday and thought what a well thought out, clever post it was, you've confirmed my thinking you have at least a BIG interest in Anthropology, psychology or similar. People are usually less emotionally invested in pets like goldfish, so great choice to get more real/honest responses to the question.

It's lovely to have such a beautiful, true friendship as Lynx and you share, i think he's a great guy too. There's been a couple of times i've wondered if he's being snippy but know it was because of the vagaries of text, there isn't the feedback available in live, face-to-face conversation. He's clearly a lovely guy who walks the Christian walk as well as talks it.

Also think if you and Ceph were having a real life conversation, the feedback would prevent it becoming an issue. Life's full of different strokes for different folks, that's all this seems to me, it would be so sad to fall out over something like this.

 

[Lynx]

I'm sorry. I don't have time to read this.

TLDR: she was trying to be nice. She was trying to sympathize with you. She was trying to tell you that she understands your effort and your frustration.

And you threw it right back in her face. Personally I don't know why she is still being as polite as she is being. It obviously doesn't matter at all to you.

 

[hornetguy]

I'm sorry. I don't have time to read this.

I'm trying to give your book a read, and have been giving you the benefit of the doubt, but you are really beginning to act like a

Whatever talents you have, or believe you have, you really need to add some humility and grace to your approach to others... your brusque replies are wearing thin.... I ask you to back up and re-group a bit...

 

[jchristian]

I humbly apologize to anyone I've offended. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you all.

I'm sorry.

 

[seoulsearch]

I humbly apologize to anyone I've offended. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you all.

I'm sorry.

Many kudos to you for this.

I was not offended, just a little surprised is all.

But you have done something we rarely see on the forum -- you gave a very sincere and humble response.

I will listen to your book in the near future. I have it saved in my YouTube feed. It will take me a few days, as I want to listen in blocks so I can absorb the information a few bites at a time.

I apologize in advance that I may not be able to provide much meaningful feedback, as the subject matter is harder for me to break down.

But your post is very admirable, and I want to give you a positive response on return.

May God bless you and the audience your book is for.

 

[jchristian]

Many kudos to you for this.

I was not offended, just a little surprised is all.

But you have done something we rarely see on the forum -- you gave a very sincere and humble response.

I will listen to your book in the near future. I have it saved in my YouTube feed. It will take me a few days, as I want to listen in blocks so I can absorb the information a few bites at a time.

I apologize in advance that I may not be able to provide much meaningful feedback, as the subject matter is harder for me to break down.

But your post is very admirable, and I want to give you a positive response on return.

May God bless you and the audience your book is for.

Well, it got deleted anyway. Reason: Christian Chat prohibits usig it's platform to advertise/promote any website, youtube channel, product, etc.

I didn't promote my channel, just the free video, but whatever. Par for the course. Satan wanted to shut it down and used Christians to do it.

I'm not a "good enough" Christian to be heard. It's so sad. All I wanted was to share my hard work for the kingdom.

 

[seoulsearch]

Well, it got deleted anyway. Reason: Christian Chat prohibits usig it's platform to advertise/promote any website, youtube channel, product, etc.

I didn't promote my channel, just the free video, but whatever. Par for the course. Satan wanted to shut it down and used Christians to do it.

I'm not a "good enough" Christian to be heard. It's so sad. All I wanted was to share my hard work for the kingdom.

I listened to your entire video on Friday.

I spent the weekend mulling and praying over it, just to try to organize my thoughts. I also prayed for help in giving a reply. Not because anything I could ever claim that anything I say is from God, but because I wanted help in how to structure and word my answer.

It's going to take me a bit of time to fully answer, as I am going to now listen to it again and write down timestamps of what stood out to me the most. I will answer in your "Thoughts About the Genesis Flood" thread -- probably in multiple posts, over a considerable amount of time, as I reply to certain points in your video.

I hope it will be at least a small consolation that some of us have spent quite a bit of time reading and listening to the things you've had to say.

 

[YWPMI]

@ seoulsearch
I don't blame you AT ALL, for not reading writings that are far above many of our "getting it". THAT is also why I don't. I think those writers are just trying to show off that they know "bigger words" than we do. Oh, I KNOW them (the "big words"), but refuse to use them for just that reason. I don't try to show off... because that's not my job. My job for our God is to teach all... which means writing/talking so EVERYONE can understand what I'm saying. I do research for my teachings... If I don't know what a word means, I'll look it up in all the Biblical languages, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. and I explain, in simple words. THAT'S how Yeshua taught us. Those who think they are better than us - because they know how to use "big words", don't understand the true meaning of God's Word... Just my humble opinion... and a bit about me. Shalom Shalom.

 

[HigherGospel]

A lot of people are still going to Hell. I hope you're out trying to win some to our Lord Jesus Christ while you're waiting, and not just sitting on your blessed ASSurance.

We should keep fishing, but it's getting harder and harder to find anyone that wants to hear about the Lord.

Most have been deceived by OSAS false doctrine thinking just because they had a moment of faith back in 1981 they are saved so they've been ignoring the Lord ever since and are certainly not living for the Lord.

 

[YWPMI]

ALL y'all need to STUDY... not just superfluously, either... Read and STUDY The WHOLE Book of Revelation. ALL Y'ALL are wrong!!! STUDY THE Hebrew, Aramaic AND Greek words... and see if i'm not right. STUDY IT FROM THE ORIGINAL WRITERS... NOT these later, apostle wanna-be's.

 

[YWPMI]

There is no place in Scripture where people go to "hell". That idea comes from mixing words that never meant the same thing. The Hebrew Bible uses Sheol (sheh-OHL, the grave, the state of the dead), where all the dead go, righteous and unrighteous alike Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalm 146:4. No fire, no torment, no consciousness. The Greek New Testament uses Hades (hah-dees the unseen, the grave), same meaning, same destination Acts 2:27. Yeshua never taught eternal torment. He warned about Gehenna geh-HEN-nah the Valley of Hinnom, a real place of judgment and destruction, not a torture chamber Matthew 10:28. Scripture says the dead are asleep, awaiting resurrection, not screaming forever Daniel 12:2, John 11:11–14, 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Eternal life is a gift. Eternal torment is never called justice. God destroys evil. He does not preserve it forever Malachi 4:1, Romans 6:23.

 

[HigherGospel]

ALL y'all need to STUDY... not just superfluously, either... Read and STUDY The WHOLE Book of Revelation. ALL Y'ALL are wrong!!! STUDY THE Hebrew, Aramaic AND Greek words... and see if i'm not right. STUDY IT FROM THE ORIGINAL WRITERS... NOT these later, apostle wanna-be's.

How about you giving everyone a bullet point outline so everyone can finally know the truth.

Can you swing that for the class?

 

[HigherGospel]

There is no place in Scripture where people go to "hell".

Oops, already off on the wrong foot claiming Jesus lied about hell.

That's how we know the devil is involved is when people claim Jesus is a liar.

 

[YWPMI]

Yeshua never lied. He warned about Gehenna geh-HEN-nah the Valley of Hinnom, a real place of judgment and destruction, not a made-up torture chamber. People confuse that with Sheol sheh-OHL the grave, the state of the dead or Hades hah-dees the unseen, where all the dead go, righteous and unrighteous alike Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalm 146:4, Acts 2:27. Scripture shows the dead are asleep, awaiting resurrection Daniel 12:2, John 11:11–14, 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Correcting misunderstandings about the afterlife isn’t calling Yeshua a liar—it’s following Him faithfully. God’s justice destroys evil, not preserves it forever Malachi 4:1, Romans 6:23.

There is no place in Scripture where people go to hell. That idea comes from mixing words that never meant the same thing. The Hebrew Bible uses Sheol sheh-OHL the grave, the state of the dead where all the dead go, righteous and unrighteous alike Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalm 146:4. No fire, no torment, no consciousness. The Greek New Testament uses Hades hah-dees the unseen, the grave, same meaning, same destination Acts 2:27. Yeshua never taught eternal torment. He warned about Gehenna geh-HEN-nah the Valley of Hinnom, a real place of judgment and destruction, not a torture chamber Matthew 10:28. Scripture says the dead are asleep, awaiting resurrection, not screaming forever Daniel 12:2, John 11:11–14, 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Eternal life is a gift. Eternal torment is never called justice. God destroys evil. He does not preserve it forever Malachi 4:1, Romans 6:23.

 

[HigherGospel]

Yeshua never lied.

Correct. Jesus said those in hell will be tormented forever

Those claiming they won't be tormented forever are calling Jesus Christ a liar.

The Lord warns in His Word of the eternity and permanency of hell!

everlasting fire ’ Matthew18:8, 25:41
everlasting punishment ’ Matthew 25:46
everlasting chains ’ Jude 1:6
eternal damnation ’ Mark 3:29
eternal judgment ’ Hebrews 6:2
eternal fire ’ Jude 1:7
unquenchable fire ’ Matthew 3:12
the fire that never shall be quenched ’ Mark 9:43, 44, 45, 46, 48
fire unquenchable ’ Luke 3:17
mist of darkness is reserved for ever ’ 2 Peter 2:17
the blackness of darkness for ever ’ Jude 1:13

 

[HigherGospel]

Bible Verses about Hell Is Everlasting

Matthew 25:46
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life

Matthew 13:50
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Mark 9:47-48
If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power

Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 20:10
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever

Revelation 20:14
Then death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

 

[Ceph]

Checking in to say I'm on a good course now. Stared out a little rough, but if God permits, I'll soon be back again stronger.

 

[HigherGospel]

if God permits, I'll soon be back again stronger.

God is not the One preventing people from growing and becoming stronger.

1 Peter 2:2 - Desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby