Easter Greetings

From our family to yours, I pray you have a wonderful Resurrection Sunday. May the joy of the Risen Savior rise in your heart afresh this year.

For those receiving this via e-mail view the video by clicking here.

Using Gospel Tracts

Using Gospel tracts is somewhat controversial these days. Some post-modern Christians believe that they are no longer effective for reaching people with the gospel. Some are even offended that a Christian would consider using tracts to communicate the gospel.

What I have learned is that they don’t speak out of experience and usually ignore the statistics. Gospel tracts are effective if… 1) You use the right tract. 2) You use the right tract in the right way.

I use tracts constantly in my street evangelism ministry. I have even had people that come to me and ask for my latest tract. I try to make sure that the tracts I use are well written. I want them to be thought provoking and at times novel.

Some of the best ones I have used come from http://www.livingwaters.com/ produced by Ray Comfort. I like their Giant $100 dollar bill tract – especially for witnessing in the hood. I walk up to a drug dealer or gang member and say, “Hey, let me lay a Benjamin on you man.” I use several other tracts from them as well. I also like their 10 commandments coins.

I have also found that the old standby tracts are sill effective. One such tract, available from the North American Mission Board, is the old Eternal Life tract. It was originally designed to go with their CWT evangelism training program but is still effective today.

When it comes to mass distribution of tracts at a special event, called tracking, I would recommend you write your own tracts and print them on a laser printer or copier. That way, if you have a high rate of throwaways, you have not invested as much money.

When distributing tracts, I usually look the person in the eye and say something like, “Can I give you a little book of wisdom that will tell you how much God loves you?” Another way of doing it would be to say, “Here is a little book that will tell you how to get heaven from ________ (Insert the name of the city you are in.)”

I always use tracts as an opening to a gospel sharing conversation. I make sure I put the tract in the persons hand first, and then ask an exploratory question to determine where the person is in their spiritual journey. After the conversation is over, I ask them to read the tract as a follow up to our conversation.

Before using tracts, always pray for each person who receives a tract before you give them away. Pray that their spiritual eyes would be open and that God would use it to touch their heart. Also pray that other people in their household would read the tract once they take it home.

Here are some great articles available from the American Tract Society that will help you be more effective in using tracts...

How to Use Tracts

Testimonies

How to Write a Tract

Guest Blogger - Dr. Rich Dives on Evangelism

I am thrilled to have a last minute guest blogger with us today. Dr. Rich Dives (pronounced Di-Vees), was originally born in Israel. He is a multibillionaire and late convert to the faith. He now lives in Tartaros where he spends his days enjoying the unseasonable warmth of the region.

____________________________________________

I want to talk to you today about the importance of sharing the good news with others. I grew up attending a synagogue and hearing the law and the prophets. For many years, I devoted my life to building my wealth and neglected my spiritual life. I wore the finest clothing and lived the lifestyle of the rich and famous. I also lived a very virtuous lifestyle. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that I needed the grace and mercy of God and not my possessions in order to be successful in life.

One thing that I regret is the fact that I have not been a very generous person. I would often see homeless people lying outside my summer residence and despise them. I refused to even allow them to have the leftovers from my table. I figured that they could get a job and earn their wages just like I did.

Now I find myself in a position where I’m not to be able to help others or to share the good news with anyone.

I was talking to my neighbor Abe just the other day. He was comforting one of the homeless men that I had treated so mercilessly. I asked, “Is there any way that you can send your homeless friend back to my father’s home and tell my 5 brothers the good news of Jesus Christ? I don’t want them to end up like I have.”

Abe reminded me that they have the word of God to guide them. They should be able to find the truth based on that alone. I wish I would have paid closer attention to the Word of God. I spent all those years going to synagogue for all the wrong reasons. I was more interested in keeping up appearances than in spiritual things.

So I said, “Abe they will believe your homeless friend if he comes back from here.” Abe says, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”

Needless to say, I was very disappointed in Abe. Even more so, I am disappointed in myself. I really regret not finding the way of salvation before I came to be in this place. Now it is too late for me.

But it is not too late for you. If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, then it is time that you faced the facts. Whether you are rich or poor, you have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) You, like me, have told lies, you have taken things that didn’t belong to you, and you have taken the name of the Lord in vain. In other words, you have broken the 10 commandments either in letter or spirit.

God will judge you, as he did me, based on the 10 commandments. The word of God says that “whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” (James 2:10)

That judgment will lead you to eternal separation from God in a place called hell. However, it is not God’s will that you go to hell. He made a way for you to be forgiven by sending His only Son Jesus Christ to die upon the cross for your sins.

The word of God says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

If you will turn from your sin and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you will be forgiven and not have to spend eternity separated from God. You will spend eternity with him. For more help with this important matter, please e-mail Darrel at info@onlyfoundation.org.

For those readers who already have that relationship with Christ, get out there and tell someone about how they can be saved from their sins today. It is so important to tell everyone you know the truth before it is eternally too late.

The following blog post was based on the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16:19-31. I hope you don’t mind me using a little April Fool’s Day humor and artistic license to communicate spiritual truth. For complaints, contact our complaint department. (If you can find it)

Feel free to send this out to people who need the message. God bless.