SOCIAL MEDIA

PART 2

A SOCIAL MEDIA THAT INSTRUCTS YOU

In part 1, you read about inclusion; that we want to be on a social media where people know that they belong, that they are a part of the group and that they are loved and cared for. This is an important facet in being on a social media where you can learn about YHVH, but remember, a faith-based social media platform, must be more than just a place to belong, the faith-based social media must also be a place where we receive instruction for a better life. The faith-based social media platform must reach out and bring people into a relationship with Yeshua, but once those people are reached, this faith-based platform needs spiritual food to train them in the things of YHVH. The biblical word for this is discipleship. For discipleship to be effective we have to have disciples that want to be instructed and a place for them to receive the instruction they need. In other words, both you as an individual and the social media as a whole, have the responsibility to see that you grow in your relationship with Yeshua Moshiach. “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8) This is our personal responsibility; each of us must see to it that we are willing to spend the time and effort to become spiritually fit. We can have the best teaching, preaching, worship and programs, but unless you are willing to take personal responsibility in the area of spiritual growth, it is not going to happen. At the same time the social media is responsible to provide a place for you to grow in this way. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Moshiach until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of YHVH, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Moshiach.” (Ephesians 4:11-13) So if you take your responsibility to learn seriously and the leaders of your social media take their responsibility to equip seriously, we will have the kind of social media that does discipleship the way that YHVH will be glorified and we will all benefit from that.

1. A PLACE TO GROW:

My desire is that social media platforms be the kind of places where you know that you can visit and experience the type of growth that you need whether you are a brand-new believer or have been a believer for years. A social media platform need to help you fulfil the following verse in your daily lives: “rooted and built up in him, and stablisheth in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7) There are three specific areas of growth that a social media needs to offer.

A. IN KNOWLEDGE: It is quite impossible to live out my belief system if I do not have a good grasp on just what it is that I believe. The more that I know about YHVH, the more I love YHVH and the more dedicated to YHVH I become. When I am talking about knowledge here, I am talking about learning the facts that have to do with YHVH and the Bible. It is being able to answer questions like, who is YHVH? What is He like? Where did the Bible come from? Who wrote the books of the Bible? Who is Yeshua? Who is Ruach HaKodesh? What does Ruach HaKodesh do? What is heaven and hell? How can I be in a right relationship with YHVH? What is the function of a social media platform? And many, many, more that is foundational to our understanding. Our job on a faith-based platform, is to make sure these facts are being taught. In other words, it is every social media member’s job to make sure you have the opportunity to learn, it is your individual responsibility to make sure you take advantage of the opportunities that are offered. So, if you come to me and say, “This platform just is not feeding me,” and I ask you, “Are you involved in giving your opinion? Are you reading to what is being said and studying the Bible on your own? Do you read the comments?” If you can answer “Yes, I am doing all those things” then it is the platform’s problem, but if you answer “No, I am not doing those things” it is your problem.

B. IN CHARACTER: Knowledge by itself can actually be more of a problem than it is a help. There are people that know many facts about the Bible, but they have not allowed that knowledge to get into their hearts and change their character. A faith-based social media platform needs to help you grow in such a way that you take the knowledge through the teachings and discussions of others, and apply it to your everyday life. A faith-based platform needs to show you what YHVH has to say is relevant and that if you follow His direction you will grow in character as well as knowledge. “And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Adonai Yeshua Moshiach.” (2 Peter 1:6-8) You see, there is a goal to all of this; A faith-based platform needs to help you become a productive person, one that knows Yeshua Moshiach and is becoming like Yeshua Moshiach. This happens when you take what you have learned and ask the question, “What do I need to change in my life as a result of what I have learned?” If you are like me, you will find many things that need changing and with each change that we make we find ourselves becoming more like Moshiach.

C. IN RELATIONSHIP: An increase of knowledge in the things of YHVH properly applied, leads to a change of character wherein we become more like YHVH. The more we become like YHVH in the way we think, the way we feel and the way we act and react to life’s circumstances, the closer to YHVH we become. “And they that know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Adonai, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” (Psalms 9:10) “I have set Adonai always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalms 16:8) Now where does the Psalmist find this type of confidence in His relationship with YHVH? He finds it in the same place we all find it. He finds it through learning more about YHVH, living more like YHVH and spending more time with YHVH. A faith-based social media is supposed to help you grow in your relationship with YHVH through their posts and discussions BUT you as reader needs to compare any and everything that is placed on a social media platform, against the Bible. That is where Bible study comes in.

2. A PLACE TO GIVE:

Not only is a faith-based social media supposed to be a place to grow and give to you, it is fully expecting all of the members to find joy in giving back. Many, many times there are people who are already believers who are looking for a social media platform, contact other members wanting to know what this platform have to offer them. It is a valid question, but it is almost always a one-way street. The question they should be asking along with what the faith-based platform have to offer is; what can we offer to your platform. In other words, it is wrong for a believer to ask “what do I get?” without also asking the question “what can I give?” A true faith-based platform needs to fully expect every member to be involved in giving to the platform in a variety of ways and make no apology for it. In fact, if the platform did not instruct you in giving in these areas, they would be neglecting what YHVH has clearly given us to teach. Remember, the faith-based social media is not for spectators; it is for people involved in spreading the Word of YHVH. If you do not get anything out of your social media platform, it is probably because you are not giving much attention to that faith-based platform of the social media. On the other hand, I have found that those that are most enriched by the social media, are those that are the most involved in it. There are three ways that you can give back to the social media that will help you tremendously in your spiritual walk.

A. SERVICE: “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Moshiach.” (Ephesians 4:12) Somewhere along the line many faith-based social media platforms forgot this passage of Scripture. They taught that the leaders of a faith-based social media were put into place to do all the work of the social media, but nothing could be further from the truth. The leaders of a faith-based social media are put in place to equip the members of that social media to do the work of that social media. When you are equipped to serve and you begin to serve in whatever capacity, you are the one that will receive the blessing for it. There are many ministries in social media platforms and we are gifted in different ways, but there is at least one area of service for each and every one of us. If I were to ask you today, “What is your ministry at your social media?” you should be able to answer with out any hesitation whatsoever. We need each of us doing our part to fulfil the task that YHVH has set before us.

B. SACRIFICE: There are many areas that we are called to sacrifice in, but I am speaking here specifically of sacrificing financially. We do not talk a whole lot about money, but sometimes I think we should talk a little bit more about it. It never occurred to me that YHVH expected more out of me in this area. BUT there are costs to host a social media platform where we can learn from. It does not come for free and we cannot expect leaders to have this debt so that we can have a free system. We all need to contribute to meet the costs. I could bring one person after another that could give you their testimony of how when they began contributing to spreading the Word of YHVH that began to bless them. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith Adonai of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10). The faith-based social media platform is not supposed to make an apology in following YHVH’s will in this area; if you have not yet begun to help maintain your platform that spread Yeshua’s love, you are the one that is missing out on YHVH’s blessing.

C. SUPPORT: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serves one another.” (Galatians 5:13) The faith-based social media platform is supposed to be a place where we support each other; if I fall, I do not need you to hold me down, but to lift me up. A trueful faith-based social media platform is supposed to be a place where we encourage, bring healing and love to each other. It is a place where you can be prayed for, cared about and know that we are all pulling for you in both good times and bad. This is something we can all give to one another.

3. A PLACE TO GATHER:

A faith-based social media platform, is simply where we have a place to do the works of spreading the truth of YHVH and encourage each other. It is important that we continually instruct each other in the importance of frequently interact with each other. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) I believe there are three basic reasons we need to meet on a platform on a regular basis and I want to write them to you in short.

A. FOR WORSHIP: I know that you can worship on your own and I hope that you do, but nothing can take the place of logging into, as the body of Moshiach, and learning and discussing articles of faith in a faith-based social media. We need to pray for each other, encourage each other and to glorify the Name of YHVH Elohiym, not just as individuals, but as the body of Moshiach.

B. FOR FELLOWSHIP: To help each other in our faith walk, we need to know each other. “When so ever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thither ward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.” (Romans 15:24) The time that we spend to learn YHVH’s Word is a precious commodity; it is a time on a faith-based platform to simply enjoy each other’s opinions and your social media is the place where that can happen.

C. FOR STRENGTH: Sometimes you are going to be the strong one that is able to help others out, to be an encouragement to them, to let them know that you care. But there are going to be other times in your life when you find you are the one in need; your faith-based social media is there to give you strength when you feel week. “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” (Romans 12:13) We need to give each other strength through life’s journey. We go to faith-based social media platforms not only to read the posts but also for each other, to hold each other up and to point the way to victory. We are living in an age when many of the fundamental areas of instruction are being forgotten. We choose to continue to stress and live out these fundamental areas of instruction so that we can each live our lives to the fullest in Yeshua Moshiach.