These days people don’t really send email updates about one another, and they prefer to post things about themselves or their family on Facebook rather than emailing one another, sending pictures, etc. Sometimes good connections and even friendships are lost or forgotten about because of the rush of things, time passing by, etc.
It’s even so much more true between us and the Lord – many times the rush to do this and that, going here and there, reading this or that, buying this or that, playing this or that game, etc can interrupt or short-circuit our relationship with the Lord.
We may even do things for Him, but because we don’t touch Him as a Person but rather are caught in things we do for Him, we are away from Him…
The Increase of Spam Emails
Coming back to the topic for today. There’s an increase of spam emails being sent out and received. I don’t mean merely unwanted offers from unknown websites coming into your inbox for who-knows-what reason, and I don’t refer to the “enlargement pills” -type of emails.
These past few months more and more of my friends (at least 1-2 per week) have been “sending me emails” with just a link. I don’t click on the link – and I recommend you don’t either! – but I know that their account was used by someone / something for sending that link even without their consent or knowledge.
This can happen for many reasons, starting from visiting websites and leaving your gmail / yahoo account open as you browse, giving out your email, not changing your password regularly, having a very simple password to an old email address, etc.
The Solution: Change Your Password!
When I get this type of emails I try to be the good guy: I usually email them back and tell them that their account has been hacked and used to send out an email with a link with which they would not agree. The solution to such problems is something that is still recommended yet regularly overlooked – change your password regularly!
Also, please don’t use your first or last name, your mother’s name, your date of birth, your city of birth, or any other easy-to-find-information about yourself as part of your password! With the techniques of breaking into the e-mailboxes today it is so easy to find the personal details of people and brute force your way into their inbox, or at least to send emails as someone else (impersonating others).
Positively: Reconnection and Fellowship
On the positive side, besides getting a reply starting with “oh, I need to change the password to that email address I almost forgot I still have”, these emails generated some very sweet fellowship. Right below my reply to my friends with the above mentioned information I would have “a closing statement from the heart” and packed with Christ! And my friends usually write me back to thank me and check up on how are things!
Recently there was a dear brother I met while in FTTL and I didn’t see for more than 6 years, and we had such a good fellowship as a result of this kind of email! This really makes me think: no matter what thing in this world, whether positive (email) or negative (spam email) everything is here for the building up of the Body of Christ.
We just need to have the proper attitude: always turn to the Lord in our spirit and touch Him before, during, and after we reply to something, say something, or do something.
It is All for God’s Building!
Brother Witness Lee said several time, while being around, that the developments in human culture, communication, and transportation are all for the building up of the Body. In Paul’s time the Roman roads were built FOR THE GOSPEL. In brother Lee’s time, things such as the phone, the airplane, the computer, the internet, the mobile phone, etc were invented for the fellowship in and building up of the Body of Christ.
Today, everything from the latest gadgets, twitter, facebook, google+, Google hangouts, smartphones, tablets, email, blogging, all social media, etc and even the more “evil” things such as the spam by email – all these things are for the building up of the Body of Christ.
Yes, they can wear you out, they can eat up your time, they can frustrate you, they can “eat you up and chew on your being” as the locusts, but they are allowed by God so that His Body would be built up, we would be more desperate for God and the fellowship in the Body, and His purpose would be fulfilled. How about that!?!
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