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Jesus Christ gave us The Great Commission of sharing the Gospel to others the best way we can... how we can do it if we withdraw ourselves from society? We can do a hermit life in our heart (1 John 2:15), be in the world but out from it....

 2017/12/24 17:00
savannah
Member



Joined: 2008/10/30
Posts: 2265


 Re: at this moment




The key to Mr Bill's post is this,

"...I feel that right now at this moment in my life, this is where God wants me, to gain a closer relationship with him..."

So, if any here on SI have had God speak to them about Mr Bill's life, speak now or forever hold your peace.

He then asks,

"...should I listen to God, or the thoughts of man?"

And we all know the answer to that!

May the Lord richly bless you Mr Bill as you seek and serve Him, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.

 2017/12/24 17:28Profile
MrBillPro
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 3422
Texas

 Re:

I think some folks might confuse solitude with loneliness, but they are different. To me personally, solitude is the glory of being alone, but loneliness is the pain of being alone, I feel solitude is rich and full, while loneliness is empty and hollow. I heard Elisabeth Elliot say one time, “Turn your loneliness into solitude and your solitude into prayer.” In solitude you learn to “nourish in your heart the lively longing for God”.


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Bill

 2017/12/24 19:12Profile
CofG
Member



Joined: 2017/2/12
Posts: 964
Cambodia

 Re:

First, I'm desire the solitary life for most of my time. Second, I have to fight this preference. To love my brothers and sisters in deed and truth and to have sincere love for them means i also want to share all things in common with them to meet their need, sharing me as well.


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Robert

 2017/12/24 19:47Profile
Sree
Member



Joined: 2011/8/20
Posts: 1953


 Re:

I was raised a Hindu and Hermit life style among Sadhu's (Saints) in Hindu religion is very common. Some are even worshiped. But I do not believe any religion that preaches this life style is from God. Jesus himself prayed for us in John 17 that we (true Chrsitians) should not be taken out of the world but kept from Evil one. Then any effort to remain away from the world is not from God. This is against the prayer that Jesus made.

John 17:15 - I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

Based on my experience of seeing Hermits (mostly in Hindu faith), there is nothing holy or Godly in that life style. If God can keep me in relationship with him only in a hermit life style then he is an impotent God. Hermit lifestyle is a direct mockery of God's power. Anyone who thinks that only by living such lifestyle they can get near to God is mocking God. An all powerful God whom Jesus believed and prayed to is one who is able to keep us from the power of Evil even in the midst of crooked and perverse generation.

We are commanded in Peter to hasten the coming of God. How can a hermit hasten God's coming? Only the one who is advancing God's kingdom by taking the great commission of making disciples can hasten the coming of Lord Jesus. Hermit life style is directly against the great commission.

Secondly as Haydav pointed, we are called to be part of a Body. An eye cannot stay alone, it will be useless. It will rotten and die. Same way any part of a body trying to live alone will die spiritually. Only in being a body of Christ, we can survive.

I am a man in early 30s, I have a wife and 2 children. I have to work to win bread for my family. I have responsibility to raise my two children for the Lord. I also have responsibility to advance God's kingdom. God has kept me in this world to be his light. If I have to live in isolation without any responsibility then why am I kept on this earth even after being saved? Only way we can be made Christlike is to suffer like Christ by being exposed to this world like how he was. Jesus promised us that the world will hate us, but we are comforted by the fact that Jesus overcame the world. We can also overcome this world not by running away like Hermit but being in it and still not being of the World.


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Sreeram

 2017/12/24 21:41Profile
MrBillPro
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 3422
Texas

 Re:

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s feedback, if you read/reread savannah‘s post he said it best. I didn’t start this thread to win anyone’s approval, because when God is leading us into different seasons of our lives, many may not approve of every season. I personally would never criticize anything God is doing in someone’s life, who am I to even begin to know the reasons God allows these different seasons in our lives. I think God said it best when he said his ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not our thoughts. What a lot of Christians forget, is God not only speaks to us in truth, but also in the spirit. I also feel some folks have read way to much into my posts, I never said this was Permanent, although I don’t know how long God will have me in this season doing his will for my life.
God Bless!


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Bill

 2017/12/24 22:08Profile
Sree
Member



Joined: 2011/8/20
Posts: 1953


 Re:

Bill, in new covenant no one needs to tell another person what to do. For all new covenant disciples can know God. I never never tell anyone what they have to do.

Whatever I have posted here is what I believe as deception of Hermit life. Since I came from Hindu faith, I can see this deception clearly. I do not find anything Godly or holy in it. In Hinduism, only way to come close to God is through this Hermit life style. If I have met someone like you practicing the same in the name of Christianity, I would have rejected Christianity immediately saying it is nothing different from what the Hindu religion offers. But what I loved about Jesus is, he came and lived a normal human life style, with all worldly responsibilities and still he overcame the world. This Jesus is my example not any religious hermit. I cannot follow them.


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Sreeram

 2017/12/24 22:44Profile
proudpapa
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Joined: 2012/5/13
Posts: 2936


 Re:

RE : /// I never said this was Permanent, although I don’t know how long God will have me in this season doing his will for my life.///

It would appear that Paul may have been led to do something like this for about 3 years.

Many in the Bible seem to have been led for a time of solitude for reflection and communion with God.

 2017/12/24 22:55Profile
Gloryandgrace
Member



Joined: 2017/7/14
Posts: 1165
Snoqualmie, WA

 Re:

To choose to be with Jesus is choosing the better way. Your circumstances are ideal for this isolation. Though I would caution you against forsaking godly fellowship when you have opportunity. You would not be online if you didn't have the spiritual impetus to engage others, recognize your dual desire for alone ness with Jesus and mutual edification. God glorify himself through you brother.


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Marvin

 2017/12/25 11:32Profile
SteveHale
Member



Joined: 2007/2/15
Posts: 244
NSW Australia

 Re: The Hermit Life.

One of, if not the biggest temptations I personally have is not wealth and having things, but going into the wilderness and living in a cave or simple hut. So therefore I have put much pray and thought into the subject.

I think the first question anyone should ask themselves when they are contemplating going out into solitary places to live is, who or what is leading you in this direction? Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1). The man from Gadarene was also led into the wilderness but by a demon (Luke 8:29) or is it just by the flesh so as to live a relative stress free life? Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me". To some going into the wilderness away from people is an actual putting away of the cross and a fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. Others who may have been brought up in and lived a decadent, sensual life may be led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness once they are born again for a season, so as to let the things of the world fall off them. To them it is not a nice quiet, peaceful place but a battle, a fight. It is there that they learn to hold onto the Living God for their very life.

Another thing is those that are led out into barren places by the Holy Spirit are not alone for very long once God has dealt with them. When the word of God came to John the baptist in the wilderness the people flocked to go and hear and see him. Jesus asked the crowds about John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see (Luke7:24)? Also once when Jesus went into a deserted place, crowds sought Him out (luke 4:42). Look throughout church history the same thing has happened numerous times. The desert fathers around 300 AD sold all they had and gave it to the poor. Then they went into the desert, lived in caves and spent their time wrestling with principalities and powers. Soon just like John and Jesus before them the people came out to hear them in great number. Gerhard Tersteegen over three hundred years ago sold his successful business and moved into a isolated hut so as to dedicate his life to pray. Soon the Holy Spirit came upon him with such power that hundreds would gather around his little hut daily to hear him speak the things of God to them.

Francis of Assis first struggled with what Gods will for him would be, either going into the highways and byways to proclaim the good news or locking himself in a cell and praying over the world and his sins. He seemed to split his time and energy between the two in a way that few had done before or since.

So my advice to anyone wanting to live a hermits life would be are you taking up your cross or forsaking it? Only you can answer that question honestly. For me personally it would be a forsaking of it. Even though I feel lonely in a crowd, that is where Jesus wants me to be, following Him.

Blessings Steve


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Steve

 2017/12/25 21:09Profile





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