Thursday, March 4, 2010

A Good Reminder Why I Use Tracts

I handed a man a million dollar gospel tract the other day. We were both heading out of the store around the same time.

I passed him and said, "This is for you."

About 20 seconds later, I heard him call me from behind, "Miss...are you saying that I need to be a Christian to go to heaven??"

"I sure am, sir." I responded with a smile. I wasn't sure if he was happy or mad -sometimes you just don't know how people will respond.

"I'm glad you're doing this. I'm born again and I'm already going to Heaven." He said.

He continued, as he motioned to the tract, "People aren't doing this much anymore. Many years ago, a little old lady passed out these tracts called 'chick tracts' and I got saved through reading one."

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those Jack Chick gospel booklets back in the day were frightening to me as a lil' Catholic kid. They even ripped on the Jews... they may have been the cause for my awakening, now I'm a 'Born Again Deist'.

dede said...

WoW!!!

great story, great reminder!

ExPatMatt said...

Anyone converted by a Chick tract was never a true atheist to begin with.

Azou said...

Chick tracts are horrible, mean-spirited little things. I guess I can at least say that he Living Waters tracts don't stoop that low.

Nonetheless, tracts in general do not seem very effective. Well, based on the ones I've received.

Reynold said...

I don't get this. Are you people assuming that there's some group of people in north america who have never heard of the christian religion and don't know of it's general tenets, therefore you need to hand out tracts?

Blobfish said...

Passin' out tracts seems so desperate to me.
I've invited them Jehovah Witnesses in for a coffee when they've knocked on my door. They really were borin' folk... nothin' to talk about but Jesus n' Salvation... I think it may stem from constipation.

River Glorious said...

Hello, Trish. I came here through Heidi.

My father was unsaved, in the hospital, and had an "understanding with God: I leave Him alone in His heaven, and He leaves me alone and I'm going to hell." That was his understanding with God. A man went one Monday to his room, and left him a track. He later returned because God told him to, and Dad, who NEVER cried, had tears in his eyes, and said he wanted to meet God.

Tracks don't save people. GOD saves people through His Word, and if a track has the Word of God, then it's a good thing. Thank you for reading this and thank you for sharing your world.

Douglas said...

Thanks for the Reminder. I went street preaching wit a brother in Exeter, NH.Please pray that God would soften the hearts of Men and women in Exeter, NH.

Blobfish said...

Street Preachin'... is that like 'God pan handlin'?

River Glorious said...

Jesus said, "Go..."

So,

we

"go."

Azou said...

You go just like that? Are you always so easily swayed by self-proclaimed authority?

River Glorious said...

Dear Azou: You are making two assumptions. First, that He "self-proclaimed" His authority. Someone who wants to be president can't just proclaim it and say he's president. There is a process whereas we the people, of the United States of America, vote, and delegate the execution of the law of the land upon one person. He cannot take it upon himself, he is invested with that authority.

Jesus the Christ: His authority came from the Father, Creator of the universe. The Father delegated His authority to the Messiah, and also witnessed that we are to listen to Him. So, in that sense, yes, I go.

Second, that I am "always so easily swayed." Respectfully speaking, you do not know me, so you do not know to what degree I can be swayed. To answer that part of your question: No. I am not easily swayed. It took me a long time, years, in fact, for me to have a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I wish I had believed the first time I heard of Him. Or the second. Or the third. Or the twentieth...

I hope you have a pleasant evening.

stranger.strange.land said...

Blobfish said...
Passin' out tracts seems so desperate to me.
I've invited them Jehovah Witnesses in for a coffee when they've knocked on my door. They really were borin' folk... nothin' to talk about but Jesus n' Salvation... I think it may stem from constipation.


Blobfish,
I have been engaging JWs in conversation for many years. If there is anything they do NOT talk about it is Jesus and salvation.

Craig

Blobfish said...

So what was their (JW's) topic with you Craig?

stranger.strange.land said...

Hey, Blobfish.

First off, I do appreciate the fact that your Jehovah Witness comment was meant as a bit of humour, and it was. Clever quip:-)

The J.W.s specific lead-off topic for any week is the one they were assigned at their previous meeting. The main idea is to promote their group as God's true organization on earth, distinct from all of of "Christendom."

The topics, which are designed to prove their claim include:

their group's unity, as opposed to Christendom's denominations and sects;

honoring God by using the name, "Jehovah";

their superior translation of the Bible;

denouncing the doctrine of the Trinity as unscriptural. (Interesting, that they are taught that we believe in what they call a "three-headed God.")

their not having a paid clergy;

the future paradise on earth for those who have earned it, and anihilation for those who haven't;

denial that Jesus had a bodily resurrection.

It also seems to be very important to them to stress that Jesus was crucified on an upright stake, rather than a cross.

I always attempt to bring our conversations around to Jesus and salvation, a subject they try to avoid.

Craig

Blobfish said...

Yea, it's interestin' to me that the JW's Kingdom of God has limited seating... hope the earth they plan on inheriting still has some greenery... do hope I help fertilize their Kingdom some.
Ya know Craig, the only religion I've come across that makes any sense to me is Buddhism... but that's me.

stranger.strange.land said...

I can see the appeal of some aspects of Buddhism. For instance, when somebody has done you wrong, doesn't the concept of karma enter your mind?

Comparing and contrasting Jehovah's Witnesses with Buddhism (since you brought it up;-), the thing I find interesting is that in the Watchtower's scheme of things, anihilation is the ultimate end of those who are not worthy of the kingdom, whereas dissolving into nothingness (Nirvana) is what Buddhists hope for.

I have always wondered, if Nirvana is what Buddhists ultimately desire, how does that jive with the Four Noble Truths' idea that we must escape from our desires. And if we desire to rid ourselves of desire, well, isn't that itself a desire?

As for me, enjoying a vibrant, active, eternal life in the presence of the very Son of God in His creation, now that is beyond awesome. That is THE ultimate.

Craig

Blobfish said...

Matt 6:24

You can not serve God and money.