IAUA End Time Ministry
Preparing for the End of Time
The Lord is Coming! Are you ready?
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IAUA End Time Ministry |
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Preparing for the End of Time | |
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The Lord is Coming! Are you ready? | |
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in
IAUA
(ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,
Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly sabbath. Mark 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. I have been trying to reach out to people in the Christian chat rooms on Yahoo. It is difficult because I don't want to get caught up in idle chitchat or pointless theological arguments. There are only a few that I can reach but it is good to do what I can. I have learned a lot about what to say and what not to say. The Holy Spirit has also been teaching me a lot about being kind and understanding and not getting into arguments. I chose the nickname Bible_Teacher so that the first thing people know is my purpose. The name makes it clear to people right away. I also completely fill out my online profile with my real name, email address, and website. The online profile makes it possible for them to cantact me, if they wish. It also shows my honest sincerity in what I am doing. Many people hide behind blank profiles and reveal nothing about themselves. My profile, if you are interested: http://profiles.yahoo.com/frank_t_clark There are about a dozen Christian chat rooms with an average of 30 people per chat room. When I first enter the room, I read the messages for a minute to get a feel for what is going on in the room. Usually there is mostly idle chitchat. Some rooms already have an argument going on a loosely Christian topic. Some have name calling going on between anti-Christians or anti-denominationals. I first have to start marking ignore for people who are using bad language or are anti-Christian. This will filter out the messages from these people. They are not going to participate in a reasonable discussion anyway so I don't let them confuse me. The rooms often have a message or two going by every second or two and it is very hard to keep up with it. If it looks like the room might be open to a reasonable discussion, I start out by saying: "Does anyone have a question about what the Bible says? I may know the answer. I enjoy answering questions." This message is designed to be as clear and polite as possible. With a lot of practice, I have carefully changed the wording of the first message for the best results. There may be a reasonable question or two that I try to answer simply and without judgement. I work hard to avoid preaching and arguing. It is simply not helpful or useful. I usually don't stay long after answering the questions, if there are any. I get ignored a lot. I always leave with a polite message inviting contact from others who may have questions. "Since there are no questions that I can see, I will be going. IM me if you have a question about what the Bible says." IM means "Instant Message" which is a way for people to have a private chat. I often get a lot of these but most are from people looking to scam you for any of a number of reasons. When I get an IM I immediately say, "Do you have a question about what the Bible says?" This usually stops them before they even say any more. For those who continue to try to start some kind of a scam I reply, "I am not interested in idle chitchat." If they keep trying I tell them, "Please do not bother me." If they persist, then I ignore them. I rarely find it helpful to try to "make friends" at the start. I am always friendly, but avoid getting too chatty. This usually leads to a lot of idle chitchat with no opportunity to witness. Starting the focus on answering Bible questions keeps the discussion on topic. I have had the opportunity to answer a lot of apparently sincere questions. Sometimes the questions are tricky and difficult. Sometimes the question is interpretation of a difficult verse. I find it helps to be sure to take the time to read the verse carefully. Tell them you want to take a minute to read it and get back to them. The Holy Spirit amazes me with the quick, clear, and simple insights that often come to me. It is important to keep the discussion clear and simple. I don't try to draw it out into preaching. I let them direct the flow of the discussion according to their need. The Holy Spirit is the guiding power, not me. Sometimes I am asked questions that lead to counseling and advice. Again, I am careful to keep it simple and to the Bible. It is an often frustrating experience but it is rewarding and productive enough to go back from time to time. I find it important to not spend too much time at it in one sitting because of the stress and frustration of sifting through all the garbage to find true opportunities to be of service. Lately, I have been encountering more and more very sincere individuals. I don't know what the results will be, but it is a pleasure to do what I can. May you find peace in the name of Yahushua (Ee-ah-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah the son of God. Shabbat Shalom
Frank T. Clark
Next: 2005-01-28 Majoring on the Minors |
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Revised 2005-01-28 |