Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: ferwerda@clt.enet.dec.com (Paul Ferwerda) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Re^4: Campus Crusade Message-ID: Date: 9 Jun 91 18:48:30 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua, New Hampshire Lines: 49 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , harling@pictel.uucp (Dan Harling) writes: [...] |> Spreading the Gospel should be a by-product of our daily lives, but not |> the entire purpose. We set a bad example if we preach a Gospel of |> Love, yet not demonstrate our Love in other areas. Our message is much |> more credible if we express our love by other means as well. |> |> If we feel compelled to spread the Gospel merely because "Jesus told us |> to," we are missing the point. I love God, and if I spend any time |> around other people, His name will inevitably be brought up, because He |> is so very important to me. |> |> One's salvation indeed has far more profound an effect on an individual |> than these more "temporal" comforts, but we are not the ones who give |> him salvation; that is God's exclusive right. If we minister to others |> in Love, we are doing our job. That includes clothing the naked and |> feeding the hungry, just as much as "witnessing." Witnessing is an |> important part of our general ministry, but it is not the sole |> purpose! |> |> >David H. Wagner As with a lot of things I think the key is balance. I also think that the Holy Spirit is going to have some folks lean more one way than another. On the other hand, we do have Matthew 28:19,20 which some people see as applying to more than just the 12 disciples. For myself, I think that being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting and being ready, willing, and eager to "witness" is a must no matter what I'm doing. I do need to be addressing people's physical needs but I need to 1) be doing it out of love, and 2) keep in front of me that the what they need above all else is Christ. It is too easy to focus on 2 without caring about 1 or focus on 1 while 2 slides to a lesser priority. The longer I'm a Christian the more I realize that so much of it is a tough balancing act, which requires me to depend on the Holy Spirit more than I'd like. 8-) It is so easy to get pulled to one side or another of the issues. --- Paul EASYNET=> loptsn::ferwerda Gordon UUCP=> decwrl!ferwerda@clt.enet.dec.com Loptson DARPA Internet=> ferwerda%clt.enet.dec.com Ferwerda Tel (603) 881 2221