|
Now I want to share some thoughts about a
number of To begin with, "born again" Christians know the urging of the Holy Spirit to personally carry out our Lord Jesus' great commission to share the gospel in our own parts of the uttermost part of the earth. So I'll not dwell on this fact, except to say that it is you in particular with whom I am sharing these thoughts about tracts ~~ especially you who would like to be more effective and more at ease in your outreach for God's lost ones.
"Tract" is defined in the dictionary as: "A treatise; now, a pamphlet or leaflet issued for propaganda, especially one containing a religious exhortation." Propaganda refers to spreading information or ideas. It is neither bad nor good. But when we "propagate" the gospel of Jesus Christ; what in the world could be better? Especially when you can add substantial durability to your gospel-sharing work with printed tracts.
strength to your conversations with unsaved people.
1. Put yourself in the place of God's lost one. Do you remember being only told of something that was more than you could digest all at once. But, when they also gave you printed materials, did you read them later and then understand?
4. Don't be disappointed when a lost one refuses to hear you or to receive your tract. Salvation is not yours to bestow. For that you cannot do. Only Christ and the Holy Spirit do that. The task assigned to us is to share the gospel with compassion and tenacious faith. Now what's so hard about that? And don't worry about that lost one. God has His eternal eye on him and may have plans for many others to spoon-feed the gospel to him before his sojourn here is finished. Don't despise the day of small happenings. Salvation is in the strong hands of our Lord and Savior from the beginning to eternity.
tracts can be useful in your personal evangelism work.
2. Make it a point to keep a few tracts in your purse or pocket to randomly hand out to people you never even expect to see again. For example, as you are approaching someone and holding out a tract to him with a friendly smile, you might in passing say something like, "Here's your reading material for today". You'll be surprised how often they take the tract with a look of excitement over receiving something and say, "Oh! Thank you!". There can also come a time when one of them will glance at the tract and call out to you, "Hey! Wait a minute!" as he hurries to catch up with you to tell you that he's a born again Christian, too. Perhaps he's been shy and wants someone to help him in his outreach. Do you see what this could grow into? A super active gospel outreach fellowship? Give the Holy Spirit plenty of opportunity to do His work through you. He is working all around the earth in every time zone all the time.
5. And let's not overlook another important tract, discussion, and intercessory prayer ministry --- the hospital ministry, where the Holy Spirit gives miracles of healing and salvation as a result of the compassion in your random visitations. This is a great evangelical work about which many testimonies have been seen and heard.
"Essentials of Salvation", tract
number S4-07, Old Paths Tract Society, Inc., Shoals, IN 47581. (You'll
need to write to them.)
"God's Simple Plan of Salvation", Lifegate, Inc., P.O. Box
5, Monrovia, IN 46157-0005. (http://www.godssimpleplan.org) God's Simple Plan of
Salvation
"The Word Became Flesh" "Right Choice", Gospel Revivals, Inc., P.O. Box 279,
Seelyville, IN 47878 USA.
(http://www.heraldofhiscoming.com/800x600/home.htm) Herald of His
Coming (Preview it in its entirety online.)
"The Touch of the Master's Hand" (no. 293), The Tract
League, Grand Rapids, MI 49544-1390 USA. (http://www.tractleague.com)
preview it
online ~~~ (An old violin is being auctioned.)
|
other practical uses of tracts for helping God's lost ones
receive everlasting life in our Lord Jesus Christ.
I
think most of us can agree with these thoughts:
2.
How about a tract that you not only can give to someone, but also share
during the conversation to get your message across easily and
effectively? Use only those tracts that present the same message that you
want to get across. Try to interest the person in reading the tract with
you (one in your hand and one in his) before you leave it with him. This
is especially effective if your tract refers to some Bible passages,
because you can then show him with your own Bible how to turn to those
passages. And you can also discuss how those passages relate to the
message in the tract, and to what you are revealing to him. In effect,
this could be the very beginning of that lost one's eternal walk with our
Lord Jesus Christ.
3. What if the lost one is interested in what you are saying, but honestly
doesn't have the time to hear everything you are hoping to tell him? How
about this? Why not give him a tract with a note in it (or on it) telling
how he can get back in contact with you? I write or stamp my name, phone
number, etc. directly on most of the tracts I use. Many tracts provide
space for this.
1.
Put them in your outgoing mail. Post them on public bulletin boards. Leave
them in random places like the seat of a bus, a restaurant table, a park
bench, a public restroom, and other appropriate places where some
searching soul might find it and read it. How likely are you to get
feed-back on the results? "Blind" distribution is based on "blind faith"
in the Holy Ghost's ability to see to it that the tract work you set in
motion gets done. Let go, and let God's amazing purposes and
achievements suffice.
3. Another use for tracts can be found in small group
ministries in which copies of the tracts can be shared and read together;
and the tract's scripture references looked up in the Bible and studied
together. In some of my nursing home small groups I have found the small
illustrated booklet tracts of Chick Publications particularly
useful. What a blessing it is to see the lives of lonely people brighten
up with joy, hope, and faith as you minister in this manner.
4. In evangelism groups where Christians study and work together to grow and to develop in their personal and group evangelism talents, (inner preparation for outward works) tracts can be a great benefit. The group can study a tract that they plan to use in a new outreach mission. They can discuss together every detail of the tract and how best to use it in different situations they might encounter.
