Comments on: Pay it Forward

By: Wayward Wretch

Wayward Wretch — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 15:56:58 +0000

A couple months ago I heard the U.S. is now the world’s third largest importer of missionaries.

Apparently, they heard most of us are getting watered down and heretical versions of the gospel, straight from the very pulpits thousands flock to, no less. We get a gospel that that looks like the feel-good, non-offensive, Christ-came-for-social-justice-and-world-peace drivel we find everywhere in the secular world.

What gospel do they hear? That we all deserve hell, that Jesus is the only one true way, that Christ’s followers should expect persecution and even death.

Everyday, they spread the gospel, at risk of life and limb. Meanwhile, we won’t so much as mention anything Christian in the presence of our next-door neighbor, because we don’t want to offend them and/or have them think we are one of _those_ people.

By: acb

acb — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 20:24:32 +0000

I was just talking to my dad about this very thing. He’s a minister turned missionary that has spent a lot of time in Belize and is now back home to disciple people here. He said the difference was simple, accountability. There is an abundance of people going to the mission fields and knocking on doors to spread the message of Christianity to all in other countries. If someone does the same here though, then you have to look someone in the eye when they see you out at different places. If this person starts attending your church, then they will of course know if you miss a Sunday. So, it’s much easier to minister to someone that will not look to you for support and leadership next week.

By: susanlprince

susanlprince — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:26:03 +0000

You very lightly touch on something that’s been on my mind since the youth in our church group traveled to FL from our homestate of TN to do mission work.

First, let me say, I believe in mission work. Jesus, afterall, did say “go!” and preach to “all nations”.

I recently started pondering the fact that so many churches send missionaries out into foreign lands to work and share the Gospel message. Shouldn’t Christians be sure their own next door neighbor knows Jesus before we move on?

As in the “pay it forward” mindset, if all we Christians, really started focusing on helping our own neighbor, wouldn’t that eventually spread to “all nations”? Right now it seems we “leapfrog” right over some of the people in our own communities with the deepest need…the need to hear the Good News.

I’ve just been pondering that.