https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/facebook-private-text-messages/
Folks, unless you happen to be one of my longtime Facebook friends — meaning that we have been friends for many years — who I have grown to trust, and unless you have a very IMPORTANT issue to discuss with me as one of my longtime friends, please have the courtesy to NOT private message me.
For the record, I did NOT join Facebook so that I can engage in private text messages. I joined it so that I can share the Christian Gospel in an open, PUBLIC forum; meaning on my timeline. If you are really interested in the Word of God, then please visit my timeline.
The way I see it, if something can’t be said out in the open, in public, on Facebook, then maybe it shouldn’t be said at all.
If your true interest is God’s Word, then please consider taking some time to visit my actual Bill’s Bible Basics website at:
Trust me when I say that you will find a lot more there than you will on any of my Facebook pages.
The truth is that aside from the fact that I keep rather busy here working on the Bill’s Bible Basics ministry, I get way too many private chat requests from people in African and Asian countries who have ulterior motives.
I am sure that many of you reading this know exactly what I am talking about. Such people will start an innocuous-sounding conversation with a “Hello” or an “Are you there?”, or some similar opening. After that, they will try to engage in a simple, casual conversation in their broken English for a while.
But then, they finally reveal why they are really texting you. It is not because they are really interested in being your friend and having Christian fellowship with you. It is that they have this mistaken idea that all Americans are just loaded with money, and they are hoping that you will help them out.
Trust me when I say that over the years, I have heard it all on Facebook. They want money to purchase school books. Their husband died, and now they are out on the street living with their kids. They have an orphanage full of starving children. They need money to build their church. Their children have no clothes to wear. They need Bibles for their congregants. And on and on it goes.
As I said, I’ve heard it all. It’s possible that some of these stories may be true; but I am inclined to believe that many of them are bogus, because I have caught some of these people in their deception.
The bottom line is this: I am not a rich American. I am old and retired, and I live on a fixed income. My gosh, I don’t even own a car. So I am really sorry, but even if your needs are real, I simply cannot help you.
Then, of course, there are those women who seem to think that I would make a fine, Christian husband. Sorry, ladies, I mean no offense to you, but I am not interested, so please desist.
There are also some well-meaning friends who constantly send me video links, news article links, links to petitions to sign, announcements regarding their new book, chain messages, etc.
Folks, as I have mentioned many times before, it is my personal policy to NOT click or tap on any photos or links which are contained in private messages. Doing so is dangerous business, and it is risky. One never knows what might be happening in the background when you do that. You may end up embarrassing yourself.
So I am sorry if it may offend some of of you, but I don’t care who you are, or how long I have known you. I will NOT click or tap on your photos or links. Neither will I forward ridiculous chain messages. So please stop.
Now if you choose to persist in sending me unwanted text messages, I will set you to “Ignore messages”; and if you really annoy me with your persistence, I may even unfriend you. I am serious.
To those of you who respect my wishes, thank you for your consideration and cooperation! I appreciate it.