So Long "Fakebook"
So, I deactivated my personal Facebook page again. This time maybe for good. There comes a point when you have to weigh the pros and cons of everything. While I love keeping up with my family and seeing their posts and pictures, I do not enjoy all of the other stuff that goes with it.
For instance; I watched with a broken heart as one of my fellow preacher friends posted all kinds of worldly videos and music and say things that a Christian should not say. I noticed that his friend base changed and no longer were preachers and pastors liking his posts but the lost and wicked of the world were liking them. I watched as he ruined his testimony on Facebook for all of the world to see. The last I saw, I believe the Lord got ahold of him and he repented and got back on track, however, I can't help but wonder how many people were negatively influenced by someone who was supposed to be a child of the light acting like a child of the night.
I also began noticing that many of my fellow pastors were becoming the world's biggest braggers. Statements such as; "Wow! The place was packed! Wow! It was overflowing, you couldn't get another person in the parking lot! " etc... While I realize it is exciting to see God work in a Church, I assure you when you reach Heaven he is not going to congratulate you on your full parking lot but rather he will judge you according to your likeness to His Son (see Ephesians 4:13).
It just seems that God isn't receiving the glory for a lot of things that are being posted. The truth is there isn't a pastor on the face of this earth that is able to even get out of bed or take another breath unless God allows it. We can't do anything within ourselves. Every time we do things in our own power, we are not doing it for the glory of God.
The Scripture is very clear on how much the Lord hates pride, here are just a FEW examples:
For instance; I watched with a broken heart as one of my fellow preacher friends posted all kinds of worldly videos and music and say things that a Christian should not say. I noticed that his friend base changed and no longer were preachers and pastors liking his posts but the lost and wicked of the world were liking them. I watched as he ruined his testimony on Facebook for all of the world to see. The last I saw, I believe the Lord got ahold of him and he repented and got back on track, however, I can't help but wonder how many people were negatively influenced by someone who was supposed to be a child of the light acting like a child of the night.
I also began noticing that many of my fellow pastors were becoming the world's biggest braggers. Statements such as; "Wow! The place was packed! Wow! It was overflowing, you couldn't get another person in the parking lot! " etc... While I realize it is exciting to see God work in a Church, I assure you when you reach Heaven he is not going to congratulate you on your full parking lot but rather he will judge you according to your likeness to His Son (see Ephesians 4:13).
It just seems that God isn't receiving the glory for a lot of things that are being posted. The truth is there isn't a pastor on the face of this earth that is able to even get out of bed or take another breath unless God allows it. We can't do anything within ourselves. Every time we do things in our own power, we are not doing it for the glory of God.
The Scripture is very clear on how much the Lord hates pride, here are just a FEW examples:
- "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." Proverbs 16:5.
- "And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible." Isaiah 13:11
- "Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee." Jeremiah 50:31
- "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6
I guess the scariest part is, I found myself also being prideful as I would post things that happened at Church and brag about the number of people, etc... I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Charles Lawson a couple of weeks ago and he made mention of Facebook and how he was not on it and never would be. He said his nickname for it was "Fakebook" because everything on there was fake. The Lord convicted me of this and for now I think it best that I just stay deactivated on Facebook.
You don't have to agree with any of this, and that is fine. This is my own personal conviction and if you can stand before the Lord and be okay with those kind of things then be my guest. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord and not Fakebook.
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