Genuine Person or Fake Persona?

Because of the ability of some people to remain anonymous through screen names within the blogosphere, it can be difficult to ascertain whether or not someone is behaving as a genuine person or just presenting a fake persona. How could you know for sure?

Over time, I think that those who are just a blogging parody eventually give themselves away. Either that or others give their motives away. One clear give-away to those involved in presenting a fake persona is when an entire blog (with several months of posts and comments) is suddenly deleted. Another give-away is when the people posting comments start questioning whether or not the blog owner is genuine. Sometimes the bizarre comments give us clues as to the motives of the blogger. I recently witnessed such an exchange between several commentors and a blogger named, "Maureen."

Maureen first posted at my blog when I wrote a blogpost called, "A USC Football Experience." Here is a copy of her post and my reply:

Maureen commented:

Dear Christine,

I've been visiting your site recently -- I'm always on the look out for fellow Christians in this fallen age -- but I have been very disappointed by several aspects of your blog. To put it bluntly, I do not think you show a proper submission to Christ, and you do not properly glorify his name on this blog. You talk about your family more than you talk about the Lord, and you idly boast of the licentiousness of your children. You glorify in "bread & circuses" of sports that the modern pagan authorities (under the direction of the prince of this world) have given us to distract us from our Christian mission. Furthermore, this website has become a meeting-place for rebellion against God, as pagans, Satanists, and homosexuals come here to spew forth their rhetoric against our Creator and Father. As a Christians, we are told to put on the full armour of the Lord and shun these criminals and rebels against the Holy Spirit. It is one thing to sin against the Law which God has given us; it is another thing to reject the gifts of the Spirit when the Word of God's grace has been made manifest. I believe that the people who hate God and speak against His name have already committed the sin against the Holy Spirit, which Jesus tells us is the one unpardonable sin.

Since you allow such blasphemy to reign unchecked on this website, I have to ask: Is your salvation truly secure? You seem to be a woman of immense pride, without the signs of Christian modesty which a lady cultivates when she is meek and submissive to her husband. I really wonder whether I can call you a sister in Christ. I half suspect that you are a false convert, crying out "Lord, Lord" without an understanding of your utter depravity in the Lord's eyes. You see, Christine, we are all unbelievable sinners, absolutely worthless and stinking wretches. We all have the penalty of death upon our heads. If it were not for God's amazing grace, in choosing a fortunate elect from out among us at the dawn of time, we should all be consigned to hell.

You have very few of the signs of election upon you. In your dress (and in the dress of your daughter, whom you wantonly display by your side), you are just as immodest as pagans and harlots of modern America, a land which has abandoned its Lord, and which is paying the penalty for its fornications. I'll be praying for you and your visitors, and I hope that you will begin to turn this site around and begin to use to glorify God, and not yourself. As it stands now, you are in danger of being erased from the Book of Life, which the Lord in his justice uses to secure our salvation. Whether you are among the elect or not, your website should be used to steer other Christians away from the works of Satan.

"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
(Matthew 23:33)

To God be the Glory,
Maureen

My reply:
Hello Maureen,

Welcome to my blog (I think). That is what I usually say when people who visit here are upset with what I have posted.

My blog is a "conversational" kind of blog that happens to be written by me, a sinner saved ONLY by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ at the cross through the grace and mercy of God the Father.

Romans 12:1-2 instructs us:

Living Sacrifices to God

12I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.


I write about many different topics here; including a few posts about my family. I write about current political and social events and movements and how such events should be "filtered" and seen through the truth of the Word of God.

My way of using the spiritual gifts of God may differ from yours.

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.


You are entitled to your own personal opinion of me. That's what free speech is all about, isn't it? I have allowed all types of people to post here (including any or all sinners in need of the Savior) as long as they do not curse or blaspheme the name of the Lord.

I'm not sure how long you have been reading my blog, but if you delve into the posts a bit further back you may get answers to your questions regarding your opinion of whether or not you could (or, more accurately would want to) call me a sister in Christ.

What you call "distraction of our Christian mission" is called having fun with the family. Attending a football game doesn't make me a pagan just as attending a church doesn't make one a Christian. Repentance, forgiveness, mercy, grace, faith and love through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God in the heart is what truly matters in order to be reconciled to God.

During his ministry on earth, Jesus entered into the houses of many different kinds of sinners. A hated tax collector, for one. He came to the aid of an adulterous woman who was about to be stoned by a throng of men. They were ultimately shamed into dropping their stones when Jesus told them, "he who is without sin may cast the first stone." Jesus visited with the woman at the well who was involved in fornication because she was living with a man to whom she was not married.

Behave Like a Christian

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have* regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore


"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."*


21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


Footnotes:
12:19 Deuteronomy 32:35
12:20 Proverbs 25:21, 22

(bold emphasis above added)



The purposes of Jesus Christ are not finished when one of his own is forgiven. Not at all. He wants us to be healed and share such healing with others who are brokenhearted and currently held captive by the darkness of the evil one. We are called to share the Good News of the Gospel with sinners and plant seeds pointing to the saving grace of Jesus Christ to help them find the Spirit of Life instead of remaining in the spirit of despair -

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV)

The Good News of Salvation


61"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

*******
Then, in reply to a post about the war in Iraq, Maureen stated:


Anna and Christine,

I'm sorry but I don't see how the name of Christ Jesus is glorified by this war in Iraq. I don't see how George Bush is any better than the baby-killing DEMON-crats he ran against. He is supposed to be a Christian and yet he never talks about Jesus in the public square. He has even praised Islam as a "religion of peace" and continues to support the atheist leaders of England and Japan. In my opinion Iraq should be completely wiped out and claimed in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST -- or else we should abandon it to the barbarians who curse God in the name of the demon-sultan "Allah". God will purify that nation of blasphemers. As it is I believe Bush acts like an atheist, and he has even cultivated "friendships" with many well-known sodomites, who should be shunned as predators on American youth. I believe this entire war and presidency has been fomented by international bankers who put Judaism above Christ & country, and sodomy and sin ahead of the Bible.

I don't believe for a second that Israel is on our side. This is the same nation that murdered Christ and will try to do so again. We in America need to retreat from a fallen world, establish a kingdom for the Lord to claim at home, and wait patiently for HIS return. George Bush is not our savior -- far from it!

It is high-time CHRISTIANS formed their own party and routed the CRIMINALS and false converts of the "two" political parties. They are both ONE party - for Satan!

*******

My reply:

Maureen,

I am too tired to respond to your entire post right now. However, I cannot let your comment about Israel "murdering Christ" stand.

Note these verses:

Jhn 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.


Jhn 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.


These verses tell us that Jesus laid his life down WILLINGLY, and of his own accord. He could have called legions of angels to rescue himself from that cross. He choose to die for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God the Father.

If you choose to blame anyone, Maureen, guess what? You would need to blame yourself! You would also need to blame me! You would also need to blame EVERY SINNER (and that's EVERYONE - remember - all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) that ever walked the face of the earth!

I will get to the rest of your post tomorrow.

One more thing. When you perceive and speak of others, such as myself, at your blog as a 'false prophet', in reality, perhaps you should first look into the mirror.

I take what I do, say and post as a Christian believer very seriously. True believers with the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them know that the Spirit would not lead them to do, say or write in a way that is contrary to the Bible. God's Word is perfect, but I am not. Because we are all human and imperfect, we have the standard of God's Perfect Word in the Bible to hold us all accountable!

I have friends here who are also Christians and they help to keep me accountable in what I write. Even then, when rebuked by a Christian friend, it is done through love. When I make a mistake, I admit it and correct it. However, what I see happening at your blog is worse (IMO) than any mistake or misstep that I may have done here. What I see is you tearing down others rather than lifting them up. The Bible tells us to encourage one another in Christ. This is as it should be when one is a fellow Christian believer.

It is the accuser of our souls who does the opposite. This is the typical ploy of the Enemy of our souls. He comes along and twists Scripture; mocks and belittles the true followers of Christ. Are you getting the picture here or do I need to be more direct?

When a person comes along and shares Bible verses, but does not share any love for fellow believers, something is wrong. Perhaps the following verse applies to you:

1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

I pray that you will examine your motives here and at your own blog. If your motives are pure and of God, then you are welcome to continue posting. I will then take it to mean that perhaps you might be new in the body of Christ and need much more Bible study.

If your motives are only to steal, kill the witness of others, and/or destroy their walk with Jesus Christ then I pray that in the name of Jesus Christ you are sent away. You and your minions have no power here.

*******

Maureen commented:

Christine,

I think you are trying to say that I am of the party of Satan. I can't believe that a true Christian would assault my faith so brutally as that. Christine, I am simply a woman in a fallen world, trying to live out the Word as truthfully as I can. In the end all of the material things of this life will count for NOTHING -- that is why it is so important to ensure that the PURE WORD of God is defended and proclaimed. That is what the point of my blog is -- an attempt to counter some of the watered-down Christianity you find all over the world -- even I'm sad to say on this website. I live a life of TOTAL fidelity to the Lord. I live and worship in the sound of the Word. I live a life of seclusion with my family -- my father is a pastor, my brother is a missionary, and my nephew Zachariah is our resident genius and help-mate. We have all dedicated ourselves to total chastity, and my brother and my nephew and myself have lived our virginity to this day, that we may be among the first fruits of the Lord. I admire my father so much because he realises that he has the mark of cain upon him for his lawfully contracted fornications, yet he proclaims the warning that unchastity -- even in the heart -- will lead to spiritual death. For lust is no other than blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, for which there can be no redemption. The Lord alone is sovereign and He will save those among the whoremongers whom He so chooses. In our time, it is our task to plead with LOVE that all who are on the path to fornication shall seek the loving light of the Lord.

I'm sorry that my words were unfeeling and mispoken. I long to cultivate a sisterhood with you in the sight of the Lord - a mutual learning experience, perhaps? There is but one God and I am not He, but I worship Him and I don't see how my words of warning and counsel could be false, if they have come from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. Please pray for my sins Christine as I continue to pray for yours. I have been villified and attacked and slandered all within a few days of using the Internet and I am afraid that that is simply the burden we who follow the Lord must bear.

God bless you, Christine, and may you continue to grow in the love and wisdom of the Lord.

Yours in Christ,
Maureen

*******

I neglected to get back to her post and address the rest of her unscriptural comments. Her last post showed much confusion:



My sister in Christ--

I often feel wieghted down in worries that I am not good enough for our dear Lord Jesus Christ. I know I am burdened with many sins, many impurities, and many thoughts of lust or hate. I seek to purify myself of these iniquities -- yet I am ever burdened by the dangers of hell, the devil's endless temptations. I believe that I am of the elect, but I fear in my heart the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which could send me into the flames of Gehenna. I have known so many Christians who committed the unpardoble sin -- without even realizing it. That is why I am communicating with people in this modern fashion to help them steel themselves in the truth and wisdom of the Word of God.

How much persecution can I take for His name's sake? I would take it all, and spare Him -- yet I know I am not strong enough.

In God's hands,
your sister Maureen

*******

Because I sincerely hoped that Maureen was being genuine, I posted this reply:

Dear Maureen,

I know that it may seem easy to say and hard to do, but Jesus tells us not to be so burdened.

Have you read my post called, Debt We Owed But Could Never Pay?

Maureen said: "I believe that I am of the elect, but I fear in my heart the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which could send me into the flames of Gehenna."

Also, please see Once Saved Always Saved? I think that the Scriptures shared in that post might help to ease your fears in this area.

Because we are still human beings and sin and evil are available to us in this world, we may, unfortunately, fall prey to them. But God will forgive us when we repent of them.

Once we belong to Jesus, He never lets us go!

As we become more and more like Jesus, through sanctification, we find that sin doesn't have the power over us like it once did before we were born again. We will never be perfect while here on this earth, but we are forgiven, according to God's promises in the Bible. When we mess up, fail to please God or backslide into a sinful behavior, we become convicted within our hearts. We can come back to God through confession and repentance. Just like the story of the prodigal son, He welcomes us back with loving arms.

There are different schools of thought regarding whether one can lose their salvation after conversion. From what I have read and studied, the Bible tells me that as saved Christians, we can lose rewards and will have to answer for any such transgressions before the Lord. But the Bible doesn't teach that we can lose our salvation. Some theologians and denominations might disagree with me on that, but when Jesus said, "It is finished" while on the cross, I believe Him!

Charles Stanley has several great books. One is called, "When the Enemy Strikes; The Keys to Winning Your Spiritual Battles."

Hope this helps.

Have a blessed Christmas!
Christine

*******
I had a glitch while posting this and some of the original post was erased! I will try to recover it tomorrow!

For now, what do you think about the blogger named, "Maureen?"

Genuine person?
Fake Persona?
True Christian?
Confused Christian?
Just a parody for fun?
Other?

*******
Update: 1/30/06 1:00 pm PT

Seems that other people appear to be wondering about the former blogger named, "Maureen." You can see that her blog name has already been taken over by a person named "Dan."

There seem to be some questions floating around about whether or not "Dan" was actually "Maureen" all along (he denies it).

Then, there are links that state otherwise (warning...some very vulgar language at the links). Proceed to investigate at your own discretion. The New "Dying in Christ" blogspot. The same people who used to post at Maureen's blog are now posting there...very interesting...