Is Christianity better since the internet began?
You're never alone on the world wide web
As I write this I’m on a train in Sweden, travelling to Stockholm. When I’m finished writing, I’ll email it to my editor in Sydney, Australia. He will then post it to the Fervr website where it can be read by people all over the world. All in a matter of moments. Back in the day, if you wanted to talk to someone on the other side of the world, it could take months. Now it takes seconds.
Think back to the 1st century. Being a Christian back then was tough. The government didn’t want you to be Christian and made life hard for those who were. There was a lot of pressure from friends and family to give up Christianity and join in with all the dodgy stuff that was going on. And they didn’t always have access to good Bible teaching (or even Bibles) and therefore were often taught things that were pretending to be Christian but were in fact dangerous and wrong.
What kept them strong were letters from people like Paul and Peter. The letters that we find today in the New Testament. These letters encouraged the Christians. Told them to hang on and be strong. To listen to God’s Word and not false teaching. And most importantly, to remind them that they were not alone. That they were “In Christ”. That they belonged to something far bigger than the small group of Christians in their city. That they were part of God’s family. And that God’s family included every single Christian on the planet.
John reminds us of this in the book of Revelation. “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” (Rev 7:9)
Who is this big crowd of people?
“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev 7:14)
It may seem like there’s only a small number of you. That you are all alone. But you are part of that massive crowd.
These days we have the internet. You can use Fervr to find other young Christians in your area. You can read great articles that point you towards the Bible and teach you God’s Word. Even if you’re the only Christian in your school or in your street, the internet can get you in contact with believers all over the world. You are not alone.
So use the internet. Be encouraged by other Christians. More importantly, be the encourager. Email missionaries in far off countries and tell them that they are not alone and that you are praying for them (and make sure you actually are praying for them). Join in discussions on Fervr shout pages. Interact with people who comment on articles. Encourage them and remind them that they are part of God’s family and that they are not alone.
With the internet, you are never far from another Christian. The world isn’t so big and lonely anymore.
For more articles by Joel A Moroney, head on over to Pop Culture Christ.
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