After an eventful weekend at the Transformed Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, I was boarding my connecting flight from Atlanta back home to Dallas and I couldn't help but notice two young people in the very front first-class row. They were wearing large pieces of jewelry and big baggy bright clothing that stood out from everyone else on the plane. I quickly reached into my handbag and grabbed a wad full of celebrity million dollar bills with a gospel message on the back and said, "Did you get one of these?" They took it and one young man said, "Wow...I thought that was real". He smiled back at me.Then minutes later I found my seat, sat down and said hello to the young girl sitting next to me. She told me her name was Chelsea and we chit chatted for a few minutes and she said, "You know who's on our plane don't you??"
"No. I have no idea. Who?" I answered.
"Soulja Boy" she said. "He's in the front row...he's a very famous rapper." She added.
"Wow...that's cool because I just gave him one of these, a gospel tract. Did you get one?"
18 comments:
That is so awesome. I will pray that God will use that message to convict his heart with the Holy Spirit.
The Don't Waste Your Dash tract is awesome by the way. I could definitely see many lost people being spoken to by that. Praise the Lord for giving you the wonderful idead and design
karabob3, thanks for the comment about the tract. Glad you like it. Where you at Transformed this weekend?
Very, VERY cool.
Shoulda been "infamous rapper"! I go to the skating rink to burn off some calories sometimes(not near enough), and I am appalled at the words in some of these songs. I usually go on Sat. or Sun. afternoon when it is mostly families there and I have taken the manager to task for playing some of the stuff I hear. They say they use the clean version of Soulja Boy which means instead of saying Ho, they say O. Right! Anyway I haven't heard that one in a while. Hopefully, upon regeneration, he'll be coming out with a Gospel project before to long.
Thanks for sharing, Trish
"Hopefully, upon regeneration, he'll be coming out with a Gospel project before to long. "
Is it typical to assume that once someone has been given a tract, they will be 'regenerated'? Or is that just wishful thinking?
Just wondering because I've seen a lot of high-fiving when tracts are handed out but I'm unsure as to how effective they are.
Cheers,
Trisha,
Yes I was at Transformed this weekend and it was such a blessing. It's Bobby and I had the bright red "Don't Go To Church...Be the Church shirt on" and had the pleasure of speaking with you. I introduced you to my wife who is due with our 2nd blessing any day and daughter after the conference. It was so great meeting you and I did find the article you told me about how to talk to your pastor about WOTM. I am so thankful to you for directing me toward that. Your FWT ministry is awesome and I look forward to more 2 minute tips and all of your other posts. You are a soldier. I am eternally grateful to God for the WOTM ministry and all of the people involved in it because it is how God pulled me from the fire. When listening to True and False Conversion, I was broken by the Holy Spirit and God showed me I was a false convert. I finally saw my sin for how horribly offensive it was to God. I cried when I thought of all the times I had trampled Jesus cross as mentioned in Hebrews 10:26-31. I realized I would be one who called out "Lord, Lord" and Jesus who turn from me. I repented, asked Jesus to be my Lord and my Savior, my everything. I thanked Him that He loved me so much even though I was completely undeserving and wretched. I promised to make Him number one for the rest of my life. It was definitely not an "emotional experience" as it can be with a false convert. I had always thought I knew what it was to be born again but I had not. I literally felt the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit come inside me at that moment, it was the defining moment of my life. I am putting my testimony together and will send it to you as well as many others. I am going to try to get the training class going at our church or in my home if I have to. Please pray for our church. I want to use the law to help other false converts and anyone else the Father gives ears to hear see their sin to show them why the need a savior. Sorry to be long winded but I am just so on fire right now. He is pouring out knowledge in me through His word and has grown me so much in Him in such a short time I can hardly believe it. I have been trying to post pics from Transformed on facebook but having some tech problems, but hopefully will have them up soon. Thanks so much for all you do for Him and for taking your time to allow me to share with you this weekend. I am praying for your ministry, family, and your church.
God bless you and Emilio for preaching the Christ centered gospel,
Bobby McCreery
expatt,
What is wrong with high "fiving" because someone recieved a gospel tract? You never know what means God will use to cause regeneration in the soul of man. God uses the gospel and that is what Soulja Boy got, the gospel, which is the power of God onto salvation. I have heard of plenty of individuals that God has saved using a good ol' gospel tract. The power is not in the method but in the message.
Bobby,
That's great! Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked the tract. I was wondering how you heard about it. If it was from my website or if I handed you one somewhere. I'm putting two and two together. :-)
"Sorry to be long winded but I am just so on fire right now."
No need to be sorry. It's a huge blessing to read about what God has done in your heart!
God bless you, brother!
Emram,
It just seems a bit presumptuous is all.
I've received a large number of tracts and I've not found any of them to be anywhere near as convincing as having a conversation with a Christian who is, how shall I put it; bearing righteous fruit?
I'll admit that some of the tracts do distill the Gospel message into a very digestible format. I guess the format just doesn't do it for me; different strokes for different folks I guess.
I have to agree with ExPatt on this one. I think of tracts in the same way as I think of billboard or TV advertising: an effective way to reach a large audience in the shortest time possible, but not at all convincing to someone like me.
I suppose, however, that I am not like most people. To extend the metaphor further: a billboard might get a few people to buy your product simply because they recognise the name, but someone like myself would spend at least a little time working out which product was best value for money before purchase.
A billboard doesn't make your product more appealling to a skeptic, it merely informs people that your product exists. To someone who already knows this, a billboard is meaningless.
I may have taken the metaphor too far, and if anyone here has ever worked in advertising then I expect to be told that this is one of the oversimplifications of the century, but I think you see my point...
ExPatMatt,
I did couch my statement with “hopefully” since “Salvation belongs to the Lord!” as Jonah puts it. Regeneration is a work of God by way of the Holy
Spirit through His Word. The tract Trish passed along contains the Word along with a call to repentance and faith.
You asked, ” Is it typical to assume that once someone has been given a tract, they will be 'regenerated'? Or is that just wishful thinking?”
Just as the farmer sows in hopes of a harvest, so we broadcast the seed of the Gospel with the hope that some will fall on good soil and bear much fruit. However, we still have the promise of God given through Isaiah that God’s Word “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” So then whether judged “effective” by you or not, we sow in hope, knowing God will use it to accomplish His purpose, either for salvation(our hope)or, damnation. One 2 one conversations are preferable but that is not always possible. We trust that a tract will be just one of many blows of the gospel hammer God uses to break the heart of stone.
Quasar said...” but I think you see my point...”
I think you missed the point! We are not driven by pragmatism, but in obedience to God’s word, we are, one wretched sinner telling another wretched sinner where they found a drink of the living waters of life. Are you thirsty? Come, take the water of life!
Bassicallymike, (can I call you Mike?)
Fair enough, I guess we just see the utility of tracts differently - I've seen a lot of really bad ones...
Trish,
How's that response to the 'Atheist Strawman' coming?
*crickets*
WOW! This is so fabulous. I have prayed for Soulja Boy and I boycott his music when I teach dance and more at the schools in my town. The kids ask me why and I say, "Because the lyrics are immoral and inappropriate for your age. I can't even explain to you what they really mean, they are that bad."
One of the highschoolers informed me what his lyrics are all about (since they are disguised by slang, and dialect.) I am a big time lover of hip hop and music in general. Anyway, his biggest hit has a dance that the whole country was doing last year, at the schools, dances and weddings. Several spinoffs of the same song are really popular too.
The song objectifies women and popularizes a super foul maneuver during what is supposed to be a sacred act, if you know what I am saying. You have answered my prayers by being one beautiful person to reach out to him, and God did it without you even knowing who he was! HA! I love you and I love our LORD! Thanks for your blog and your obedience. I just found you and I will be back!
Peace, Y'all from ALASKA!
www.htography.com
ExPattMatt,
You said, "I've seen a lot of really bad ones..."
Me too! That's why I use Ray's tracts. I think they're effective and they have a solid gospel message and they are eye catchy. I use tracts because I know that I'm not able to present a full gospel message with every person I meet. But the tract does a good job in a short amount of time.
I like tracts because they break the ice for me to talk to people as well.
I also designed my own tract. Have you seen it? Visit www.DontWasteYourDash.com to check it out.
Oh and sorry I posted my comment to you about slavery in another spot, but I'll just repeat it again...here it is:
Not sure if you read ProfWeather's comments on slavery, but I don't have much more to add then what he posted. I think he did a fine job of answering the question.
That's why you've been hearing crickets on my part. :-)
Trish,
I never asked you about slavery. Did I?
Yeah, I just checked and you must be thinking of someone else.
I was asking for a response to the straw man of atheism that you posted a while ago. It was clearly and concisely rebutted by several contributors and you said that you were working on a response..
However, I see you're back on the straw man trail with your latest, so I won't hold my breath waiting for intellectual honesty from the Christian camp.
Tracts seem to be kind of "gimmicky" and actually a little deceitful - presenting one thing (million dollar bill) with an alterior motive (the Gospel). I guess it's ok for the Gospel to be an alterior motive...not sure. Did Jesus, disciples or apostles in the bible need an "ice breaker"? I have used tracts and have used Ray's tracts, these are just some thoughts I've had recently.
@ hmkjr, I simply tell people exactly what it is...I say, "It's a gospel tract".
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