Tracts vs Witnessing; and Booklets

[MaxKennedy]

Hi all,
I've given away tracts before, and also the gospel of john - and I used to sell stuff online, so I'd put these in with the orders, and they seemed to be effective, and had a couple of customers thank you's. I had more trust of the gospel of John, because tracts don't seem to have enough sometimes, and the whole word of God is useful to witnessing.

We've all seen a lot of apostasy in the churches. Particularly, I remember at one church they were going to 'teach witnessing', and what they taught was a lot of rules of men when the bible says not to meditate beforehand, but be led by the Holy Spirit:
Luke 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Now everywhere, we see Christians captive to babylonian type churches, not excercising their God given gifts or talents, but beholding to man made rules, doctrines, etc. Same thing with witnessing above.

Now, given that that is true - aren't we letting pre-made tracts mediating beforehand on what to say? In fact, its even a little worse, because its pre-mediating on what someone else has said, using only small pieces of the bible, and a lot of tracts have errors. Its not a lot, and I doubt God is going to bless it much when he wants us to be actual fishers of men. I give out tracts, God does use it sometime, but there can be prOBlems with it - and the 'easy believerism" people are right in a sense as well.

Some food for thought. I am considering writing my own booklet for new believers and those wanting to know more about Jesus Christ. Meant to be small, but larger than most tracts - because I think most tracts are too small and leave out stuff.

What would you put in a booklet for new believers and to witness? For one thing, I'd put in something about the word of God, that God perserves his word, and proper translation (KJV). I'd also put in something about its by grace and not works, and you can't lose your salvation and salvation is open to all who hear the word of God and come to Jesus Christ - because so many false doctrines teach otherwise, etc.

What would you put it in? FYI writing this made me realize why there may be errors in many tracts - because they are non-denominational, and so the errors come in.. Plenty of denonations believe you can lose your salvation - but what is so important to a new believer? Satan affects young believers in exactly that way, and therefore it ought to be in such a booklet, etc.

Edited August 27, 2010 by MaxKennedy

[John81]

It's very difficult to find good tracts. Many are indeed watered down or tainted by denominational peculiarities.

Even among the better tracts, often they are difficult to read or contain too little. They try to cram too much in a small space giving us tiny print or they use larger print which limits the amount that can be put forth and often they leave out too much good in favor of some fluff.

I've used handing out copies of the book of John to good effect (of course I've used tracts as well, and also done much witnessing without either). It's especially helpful if you have the time to highlight some verses. You can turn to them quickly and whoever you give them to can find them later with ease.

[HappyChristian]

The weakness of today's tracts was the reason that our church wrote some. They are pretty good. A lot of times a person will take the time to read a tract where he or she won't read something longer.

We put tracts in our Christmas cards every year for my hubby's customers (in different years, there have been anywhere from 350-over 600...writer's cramp! ). We have had to search for appropriate tracts - seasonal as well as content.

One of the vital missing ingredients from many tracts is repentance. That, imo Max, should be one of the main emphases in any doctrinally correct tract.

[Annie]

I personally don't think that tracts are as effective in getting out the gospel as they once were, given that in today's culture people are constantly bombarded with sales pitches, commercials, junk mail and email, email scams, visual images and literature of all kinds, and are likely to toss what appears to them to be just another piece of junk mail, unless, of course, God is already working in their hearts...

That's why I like your idea, Max, about writing something geared toward those who have expressed interest in the gospel. If I were writing such a booklet, I would start with Genesis 1--creation and the Fall--to establish human culpability toward the Creator God (Romans 3). I'd move then to the sacrificial system God instituted for his people in the OT...then to Christ's once-for-all sacrifice for sin, and resurrection from the dead. I'd follow that with verses/passages detailing how salvation may be OBtained, and what can be expected in this life (sanctification) and after death (glorification).

While I would not get into what my denomination believes about various things, I would definitely include my church's information (or maybe a list of faithful, sound local churches) so that the reader would not be under the impression that "any church will do."

Edited August 27, 2010 by Annie

[MaxKennedy]

Hi all - will be rereading through your all suggestions and thinking about them.

Annie - I was thinking about your suggestion about "not any church will do", actually as soon as I read it, I've been
testing all things lately - and contrary to what some could say - test does not mean tempt or catch them at their words
(satan tempts this way with misunderstanding of that verse), it really means just compare everything to scripture and
see if its true.

Conversely to our other thread in the bible subforum, here is where I think you should specifically ask them to your local fellowship.
Why? Because you were blessed to be there when Jesus Christ saved that person and they were born again, and
*you* are that person's first contact with the church. Therefore, you ought to invite them to your fellowship
and friendship.

Futhermore, you know God is still blessing your fellowship. Not all churches are blessed - in Revelation, one of the churches
are going to have her children struck dead and no one is getting saved at that church. So someone being saved is a special
event, and in this case you should invite them to your church - and not lukewarmly either! They just got saved! (ask them after they are saved though, before you are just a Christian witness in general.)

This is prOBably another prOBlem with some modern ecunemical tracts - they act like any church will do. Will any church do?
The letters to the churches in revelation doesn't seem to think so.

Edited August 28, 2010 by MaxKennedy

[MaxKennedy]

That's why I like your idea, Max, about writing something geared toward those who have expressed interest in the gospel. If I were writing such a booklet, I would start with Genesis 1--creation and the Fall--to establish human culpability toward the Creator God (Romans 3). I'd move then to the sacrificial system God instituted for his people in the OT...then to Christ's once-for-all sacrifice for sin, and resurrection from the dead. I'd follow that with verses/passages detailing how salvation may be OBtained, and what can be expected in this life (sanctification) and after death (glorification).

Actually, I noticed after you wrote this that the first 7 letters to the churches makes a good witnessing tract to what you might need for new believers. They are all what you get after overcoming the world, and you overcome the world by being saved and by the blood of the lamb.

The first is on the tree of life - which goes from the garden of eden as Annie mentioned above, to the Jesus Christ who died on a cross for our sins and give us everlasting life - our tree of life. The second letter is on the crown of life - Jesus Christ is the Reserection and life, etc.

Actually, this makes a pretty powerful tract, and I am going to write one just this way and call it the "Revelation" tract. It makes a powerful statement. I already wrote the first part about the fall of man, the garden of eden, sin, Jesus Christ is our righteousness, and that his death on the cross is our tree of life. Edited September 3, 2010 by MaxKennedy

[HappyChristian]

Actually, I noticed after you wrote this that the first 7 letters to the churches makes a good witnessing tract to what you might need for new believers. They are all what you get after overcoming the world, and you overcome the world by being saved and by the blood of the lamb.

The first is on the tree of life - which goes from the garden of eden as Annie mentioned above, to the Jesus Christ who died on a cross for our sins and give us everlasting life - our tree of life. The second letter is on the crown of life - Jesus Christ is the Reserection and life, etc.

Actually, this makes a pretty powerful tract, and I am going to write one just this way and call it the "Revelation" tract. It makes a powerful statement. I already wrote the first part about the fall of man, the garden of eden, sin, Jesus Christ is our righteousness, and that his death on the cross is our tree of life.

That sounds pretty interesting. When you get it done, I'd love to read it!

[asysin2leads]

I do have to say that the tracts put out by Fellowship Tract League are very good. You can order a sample pack from them. I have passed them out for 20 years and am now a member of the church because of their tracts. I knew that they were IFB/KJB and those are few and far between around here.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Most tracts today are watered down wishy-washy feel good speeches on paper. I have seen a few good ones though. Have written one myself some years back. I included a poem I wrote in it and several Scripture verses.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Standing Firm In Christ

[irishman]

It's very hard to write a "good" tract. what we feel is good, another might sluff off as personal doctrine or preference; everyone is different; some will read diligently (If they are searching) a long tract, and some are too lazy to read a long one. I personally have felt better about a short, hard-hitting tract that gets right to the point of salvation, then, then if they get saved, maybe a Book of John or Romans. We must keep in mind the cross-section of people that we deal with. As someone said, some men will not allow you to witness to them, but they will read a tract.

I know one man that has served the Lord in a number of capacities for years, who was saved by a tract. He told those that tried to win him "I don't want to hear it, so don't preach to me" or something similar to that. Of course, we could cite examples of just about anything as far as attitude and belief go, but myself, I prefer tracts in places where people have to wait a long time for whatever service they are seeking. A doctors office; bus stop; laundromat; airports, etc., those tracts people will read, if not because of the moving of the Spirit, then because of boredom! We need to think out our tract, and pray about it, and fit it to the people, and allow the Holy Spirit to bless it.