What I Learned in My Year of Blogging.
June 8th, 2006 by Carl Thomas.When I started this blog I just wanted to be able to post some essays on my family website. My family had just left an incredibly dysfunctional church and I wanted to post an essay or two on some things that were wrong specifically with that congregation and more generally with the movement they were claiming to be a part of. I desperately wanted to get the word out to the church that there was a true Gospel and it was worth proclaiming.
As time went on, I soon realized that the Church was just fine. The problem was the congregation that I left. Since the group I left shunned me like Jehavah’s Witness clones, there was no chance for them to even read my blog. In the end, I wrote this post and went on with my life. I was part of that church plant. I was a leader in it. I watched it grow. I watched it wither to a shell of what it once was and a mockery of what it could have been. I dusted off my boots and went on with my life.
While the original purpose of my blog was no more, I enjoyed it and continued to post articles. Like all the big guys I posted lengthy articles about theological issues. The only problem was that nobody cared about my views. I would enter debates on other blogs with links back to mine but nobody followed. I even tried to antagonize some people in the hopes of some blog action but all I got was convicted by the Holy Ghost for being mean spirited and had to delete them. So instead I started to comb the web for neat testimonies and when I found them I would reprint them with a link. I like testimonies. I figured since I am paying for the hosting I might as well post something I want to read.
I stopped debating when I realized that none of the debaters listened to each other. The fact is that most are too entrenched in their pride to listen to anyone else’s opinion. I figured I better withdraw from the debates before I became the same. I am no theologian. I don’t even play one on tv. I am just a guy baptized in the Holy Ghost who likes to make this present kingdom real to God’s people. I removed the links to all the big name blog guys realizing that none of them would ever link to me. I was not one of them and I became ok with that. As time went on and I got more involved in my new church I began to post little clips about what was going on in my ministry. There is nothing more exciting than watching God move in the lives of His people so in addition to the web stories, I started to post little testimonies about how God was moving here. People seemed to enjoy that. They actually left comments to that effect. What do you know? Now that I am not looking for traffic I actually get a little.
But the traffic I get now is different. Most of the people who comment on my blog are people just like me, average people with an awesome God. I got one comment from a guy who tried to bait me into a debate and I just deleted his comment. I am not going to debate about God. There is not enough time for that. There is a whole world on their way to hell and I have to make His presence known.
So here I am in year two. I will continue to look for revival wherever I can find it. I will continue to post about the stuff I see God do. I will continue to seek friends in Christ wherever there are those who seek the same.
Are you a Calvanist? Then I believe we were predestined to be friends! Armenian? Then choose me for fellowship! Third Waver? Let your river flow this way! Cessationist? All I can tell you is what I have seen! Do you want to argue? I am afraid I can’t help. I am trying to get to low for that.
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With you all the way! Right from day one on my own blog I’ve wanted to simply share testimony. I don’t just mean the sensational things, but also to simply share how God is transforming my life and the lives of those around me every day, as we seek Him together. He’s given us relationship.
Curiously, what I’m finding quite recently is that people who are encouraged by testimony and are genuinely seeking God for more with me, want to discuss Biblical principes. This is very different to me putting something out there as if I were some kind of authority - I’m certainly no theologian! It’s also very different to people spoliling for an argument (I get those on occasion too - and ignore them). But I’m finding that testimony develops hunger, hunger provokes questions, and trying to help answer those questions draws something out of me that I didn’t know was there.
I’m honoured to have met you via your blog and I hope you’ll continue testifying.
(Revelation 12:11)
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.
Carl,
We may have more in common than you realize! Thanks for commenting on my blog also!
I started my blog just to let people know about what God was doing in or ministry…I’m not a real deep thinker, yet I do think sometimes! I’ve tried to link and post different places, but I realize I must not be “called” to run in those circles! And yet there is a whole wide world out there that is interested in us who are living “under the radar”!
Blog On Bro!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WEB MINISTRY AND OPENESS!
AMERICA IS NEARING A GREAT SPIRITUAL AWAKENING!
PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR GOD… NOT RELIGION!
WHAT WE NEED… “IS REAL, BLACK BACK BIBLE…HEAVEN SENT … HOLY GHOST ANOINTED .. DEVIL CHASIN .. SIN KILLIN … ANGEL SOUGHT … DEVIL FOUGHT … ..ROCK BOTTOM … SKY BLUE …UNADULTERATED …PURE & HOLY… LIFE CHANGIN … EARTH SHAKIN …END TIME REVIVAL!!!!!!!!! ”
NOT JUST SOME 3 DAY OR 1 WEEK, MEETING TO MAKE EVERY BODY FEEL GOOD … BUT PEOPLE CRYING OUT TO ALMIGHTY GOD TO RAIN DOWN HIS MANIFEST GLORY AND POWER … UNTIL PEOPLE GET SO HUNGRAY FOR GOD, THAT THEY TURN OF THE PHONE, THE FAX, THE INTERNET, THE TELEVISION, PUT THE DOG OUT IN THE BACK YARD, TAKE OFF WORK AND LOAD UP THE KIDS AND FIND WHERE GOD IS MOVING AND GO THERE,
FALL ON THEIR FACES … WITH A TRUE HUNGER AND PASSION FOR GOD, UNTIL THEY PRAY; “GOD VISIT ME… OR LET ME DIE!”
ONLY THEN WILL YOU SEE THIS COUNTRY TURN AROUND! THE ACHOLIC LAY DOWN HIS BOTTLE AND PICK UP A BIBLE! THE DRUG ADDICT LAY DOWN HIS NEEDLE AND GET HIGH ON THE INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! THEN WILL PEOPLE BRING THIER WEALTH AND GAIN AND LAY IT AT THE FEET OF GODS TRUE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS…AND SAY; “IT HAS NO EARTHLY VALUE, EXCEPT TO PUT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD…AND BRING HEALING TO THE NATIONS!” AMEN AND AMEN!!
BUFORD DOWELL
EAGLE INTERNATIONAL
EITENTS@YAHOO.COM
http://WWW.EI-TENTS.COM
_____________________
” IN CHRIST… IS LIFE! “
[...] Soon I was caught up in blogging and spending hours reading and commenting on other blogs. I realize now that it became a hobby, and the ministry aspect was diminished in the process. My experience parallels some of what Carl of Revival Blog cites in his post: What I Learned in My Year of Blogging, a very helpful article for me. It helped me to put things in perspective and make some needed adjustments. Actually, the Holy Spirit used it to get me back on track. [...]