ALAYMAN said:
Enow said:
Makes one wonder if the daughter should be wise in how she serves the Lord by limitting the outreach to women and girls only. If she sees someone in need of His ministry, she sould contact a pastor or a christian brother or a fellowship group to shoulder that burden and see whom God will raise up.
Showing Christ's love to others of the opposite gender can be mistaken as a romantic interest. Better to have more than one with her to share that witness in seeing how the Lord will minister to him, but it would be better still to have those of the same gender do the witnessing.
The same can be said for the men in witnessing to the women: better to have the women witness to the women rather than wind up with hurt feelings or a stalker too. Alot of pastors & ministers would have wished they had done so.
ALAYMAN said:
First, let me say welcome to the forum, and thanks for contributing in a substantive manner to the conversation.
Thanks for the welcome.
ALAYMAN said:
The scope of the conversation isn't really witnessing. It is simply one human being seeing another one who is lonely, neglected, and in need of human interaction and being treated with common dignity. Sometimes just acknowledging another person with a "hi", or including them in a group effort will go a long way towards ministering to somebody who just needs to feel loved and important. A person might even do this the right way, in a group setting, with a Christian companion assisting them, but in doing so it is possible that a mentally unbalanced person can distort the <good> intention of the person who is simply trying to be a "good neighbor".
The emboldened part of your quote is why it should be obviously avoided. Such a person of the opposite sex will be starving for that in a sexually hyped & materialistic society. Testifying of Him in how He is always there for us is the only relationship that should be made known to the individual in question, but again, she may not be the one to give that message when the obvious lonely person is going to grab whatever "affection" he can get & strive to have more of the pleasure of her company, thus not hearing the message at all.
Enow said:
How far should one go to protect a daughter? As far as the story goes, a restraining order would be appropriate, but prayer would be the obvious first choice.
ALAYMAN said:
Yes, a restraining order and police involvement are absolute musts, along with proper self-defense preparation. In this story, the individual killed was accosted by the stalker even after the restraining order, which is not uncommon in stalking cases.
Christian daughters should be made aware that this is the risk in any ministry.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
Enow said:
Blowing the guy away or putting him in a hospital is not what Jesus had taught,...
ALAYMAN said:
This is the crux of why it is not easy to deal with. The desire that God has implanted in a father (and mother) to protect their family is a good and honorable one. How to do that effectively in tough situations like the one above, well, is the reason I started the thread. Abstract conversations often result from real world situations where hard decisions must be made.
Recognizing the cost of serving Him is what every parent must accept just as instructing their daughters to prepare for that eventuality and to be wise in not casting pearls before swine. We serve Him by ministering to those that seek Him: not by serving man whenever we see someone lonely.
Being neighborly is one thing: doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is another: but we should lean on Him for help & discernment when ministering to any member of the opposite sex, and be ready to pay the price with His love.
Romans 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Sometimes we have to die for His word to take root and bear fruit. The daughter is in a good place now: let her death not be in vain by killing the guy, but by forgiving him for he knows not what he has done.
Luke 23:33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
I must pack. I have had 4 opportunities to protect my family (with my gun), as we travel across the country.