How Effective is Gospel Tract Saturation?

By Jennifer Slattery –

Hyper-Calvinism says all we need to do is share the gospel, share the gospel, share the gospel and zap, the Holy Spirit reaches down and brings man to salvation. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s some truth to that in that apart from the working of the Holy Spirit, man cannot come to Christ. However, this approach, what I like to term gospel tract saturation, fails to take into account human reasoning. And a great deal of the Bible.

I believe the Holy Spirit works in conjunction with the intellect, penetrating through the darkness that keeps man in rebellion against God while illuminating truth. Belief is assent at a heart and intellectual level. Taking both aspects into account strengthens our message.

Effective evangelism occurs in relationship

Dropping a gospel tract at countless doorsteps won’t cut it. Oh, sure, perhaps five percent of those visited might make a confession of faith, but likely because someone already laid the groundwork, and you just happened to be there to reap the harvest.

Notice Jesus’ instructions to the disciples when He sent them out in Luke 9:4

Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town.

When they reached a new village, they were to stay in one house. I believe this was to establish community. Perhaps we need to spend as much time relationship building as we do proclaiming.

Effective evangelism adapts to the listener

One of my favorite examples of this is in Acts 17. When speaking to the Romans, Paul reasoned with them, displaying the coherency of God.

“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:16-17 NIV).

And notice what God says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (NIV © 1984).

Throughout Scripture, we see the Holy Spirit working through human logic. This is not to say the gospel message is adapted, but instead, how it is presented is. To be effective, we must take time to learn the unique barriers to faith held by each individual so we can prayerfully and patiently address those barriers.

Effective Evangelism Takes the Time to Understand Their Audience

Notice the passage in Acts. When Paul entered the city, he observed the culture of the people around Him. He noticed their idols–their barriers to faith–then addressed those barriers in his message, demonstrating the superiority of the gospel message.

Have you ever talked with someone and felt like they didn’t hear a word you said? Or asked a question only to have them provide an irrelevant answer? Does it make you want to hear more or walk away?

Effective evangelism speaks with humility

No one wants to feel stupid. No one wants to be cajoled into faith. Truly, most people want to feel as if they’ve arrived at the conclusion themselves. Our goal then is to gently guide our listener or reader into discovery, asking thought provoking questions and pointing them to the truth of Scripture. In essence, we walk beside them, ever alert to their pace and committed to the journey regardless of how long it takes.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you agree or disagree? What are some effective ways you believe to reach others for Christ?

Babysitters and Body Guards

By Lori Freeland –

What do the following positions have in common?

Babysitter.
Body Guard.
Manager.
Safety Net.
Advisor.

If you’re a parent, you’ve held them all or you will by the time your children dive from the nest. One day they will pay for their own phone lines and car insurance, schedule their own dentist appointments, drive through and pay for their own take-out, and do laundry in their own dorm rooms or apartments.

Independence.

That’s what we strive for from the moment we hold those babies in our arms. Our number one job is to teach our kids how to be strong and kind and ethical and everything they need to be to survive in our world as adults.

When each of our children arrived, they were absolutely dependent on us as their parents to care for them. It wasn’t as if Kyle could walk to the bathroom and help himself. And without any sort of hand-eye coordination to move spoon to mouth, Alek would have starved in days if we hadn’t fed him. Unable to comfort herself, Maddy just screamed 24/7, unless we held her over our shoulders.

We were their babysitters. Only the babies did the sitting, in our arms, while we met their needs.

The toddler years weren’t much easier because my kids thought they could actually do things like pour milk, and walk down narrow stairs without hanging on to the railing, and climb on the big potty in the public restroom on a toilet seat designed for a 500-pound trucker.

We were their bodyguards. Literally, guarding their tiny bodies from harm.

Elementary school and middle school years ushered in personhood. Suddenly, they brought wants, ideas, and opinions to the family dinner table. Only they lacked any kind of experience to discern things like ratings on video games and movies. They didn’t realize that watching something scary for an hour could bring nightmares that lasted for months. Or that staying up all night, three nights in a row, could make them physically ill and unable to perform on that test, or in that recital or play. We knew of course.

That’s why we were their managers. The people who nixed the fun ideas because we were able to look down the road at the not-so-fun consequences.

High School. The character-forming years. Filled with mistakes and sketchy choices. All those ideas we managed when they were younger? Now they had the ability, the vehicles, and the cash to attempt to carry them out behind our backs. And sometimes they did.

We were their safety nets. Waiting to catch them when they fell—minor goof-ups to major crisis.

Next came leaving home and making decisions for their futures. Life plans, budgets, friendships, career choices, and marriage partners. Sometimes a seemingly minor mistake led to a life we never wanted them to live. Other times, taking a chance opened doorways to an amazing future we never foresaw.

We were their advisors, doling out the wisdom of our bad choices so they could make different decisions. And mess up somewhere else instead.

I span the range from Babysitter to Advisor this year and it’s a weird place to be. I often have to remind myself that at eleven, Maddy should be making her own grilled cheese. But only under close supervision. And at fifteen, Alek isn’t old enough to decide if he can buy an M game for the X-Box but at eighteen, Kyle doesn’t need me to cut his steak when he visits on the weekends.

Where are you in your quickly shifting roles as parent?

Signs of the End Times? The World Powers Against Israel

By Dianne E. Butts –

Bible verses like Zechariah 12:6-9, Micah 4:11, and Micah 5:7-15 talk about Israel being attacked but not being defeated. These verses cause some people to watch carefully what is happening with world powers—both what is going on within them and how they are being positioned in regard to Israel.

What do you see going on in countries around the world? What do you think of it? And specifically, what do you think about what is happening with countries around Israel these days? Could what’s happening with countries being in upheaval around the world be a sign of the End Times?

I found these interesting tidbits in the booklet 101 Last Days Prophecies published by Eternal Productions:

• The Bible teaches that in the End Times the nations surrounding Israel will be united against Israel. “This has never happened in history. Yet today, Israel is surrounded by Muslim nations sworn to her destruction” (p. 11-12).
• “Since 1948, tiny Israel has been attacked in three major wars and several lesser wars. Yet despite being vastly outnumbered, they have defeated all attacking foes… An invincible Israel makes no sense—unless you believe God’s Word” (p. 12-13).
• “Israel would be partitioned by all nations (Joel 3:2, Daniel 11:39). This is another unimaginable prophecy! In 1947, UN Resolution 181 planned the partitioning of Israel. Currently, the West Bank and Gaza have been separated into Jewish and Palestinian settlements. Dividing Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria are also being negotiated today in order to create a Palestinian state” (p. 13).
• “Russia (Magog) would rise as a military power and lead an attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38). Today most of the southern states of the former Soviet Union are both military powerhouses and Muslim” (p. 15).
• “Iran (Persia), Sudan (Cush), and Libya (Put) would also partake in this attack (Ezekiel 38)” (p. 15).
• “Turkey (Gomer) would also join in the attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38). In 2002, Turkey elected a pro-Islamic party to govern the country. In 2005, Hitler’s anti-Semitic manifesto Mein Kampf became a best seller in Turkey. In 2007, Turkey elected an Islamist president” (p. 16).
• “Jesus said there would be ‘distress of nations, with perplexity’ in the last days (Luke 21:25). Today, with nuclear proliferation, global terrorism and grave ecological fears, the nations are in a quandary with no apparent way out” (p. 16).
• “Egypt would exist in the last days—but only as a ‘lowly kingdom’ (Ezekiel 29:14-16). Egypt was one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. Yet today, as prophesied, Egypt remains—but only as a third world nation—which will, “never again exalt herself above the nations’ (v. 15). And while God’s Word foretold of the demise of many other ancient people groups and kingdoms (which have long since vanished), Egypt remains” (p. 18)!

I hope you find these notes as fascinating as I do. They might give us both something to consider as we watch world news unfold. And they might give us insight into what is happening, where we are on God’s timetable, and what will happen in the near future. That is, if what we are seeing happening in the nations really are signs of the End Times.

Fried Green Tomatoes

By DiAne Gates –

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope” (NAS Jeremiah 29:11).

I decided to grow tomatoes this summer. I visited the nursery, picked out varieties of tomatoes, and took them home to plant. I gave them a drink of water, and dreamed of eating tomatoes in sixty days.

Each day I gave them water and inspected the new growth that appeared overnight.

Until the first worm appeared.

I squashed the yucky creature and mourned over the sculpted bite marks in the leaf.

This routine continued ‘til tiny green lumps replaced yellow blossoms. I licked my lips, anticipating those homegrown delights.

Sunny days transformed the tiny spheres to large and green, each one hanging on their stalks and changing color as they ripened. I counted the days, envisioned salads garnished with tomato wedges, or sliced tomatoes sprinkled with basil and goat cheese. My taste buds danced a jig of anticipation.

Then, one morning, I walked into the garden as the sun cleared the treetops. Would this be the day?

I gasped.

One lovely tomato hung sideways, gaped open, and dripped juice on the leaf below. Hungry ants gobbled breakfast while a mockingbird sat in the tree above, screeching at me for interrupting its breakfast, intent on stealing what was mine.

I’d show him.

I plucked the maimed fruit and tossed it away. That bird swooped in as if it was the last particle of food on the planet. Through the day I peered from every window to be sure he contained himself to the castaway fruit. But yesterday, he returned and pecked three more of my delicious-darlings.

I raced to the closet where the Christmas ornaments waited for next season, grabbed a box of shiny red balls, dug a roll of wire out of the drawer, and cut pieces to thread each scarlet oval. I dashed back to the garden and tied them onto the tomato cages, hoping to fool the bird with fake red globes.

While I was gone, that bird pecked holes in another ripening tomato.

These tomatoes would never make a salad. But the taste of fried green tomatoes sashayed through my mind. Ah ha! Even though the fruit was mangled, I could repurpose them into a delectable delight.

My plan changed those damaged tomatoes into a scrumptious meal just like God uses broken, battered, blemished people to accomplish His plan. We are created in His image and are His treasures. Though we bear the bruises and welts of sin, He loves us and knows the plan He purposed for our lives.

Like that rascal mockingbird, bent on gobbling up my tomatoes, Satan eyes us, waiting to subvert God’s plan and destroy us.

Jesus stands ready to answer our cries. He will rescue, cleanse, and set us back on solid ground. God’s love is deep and wide and He will transform us into the image of His Son. We are the object of His mercy and grace. No scar of sin is beyond His ability to forgive and heal.

My Mama said, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest there.” We have a defense against Satan by placing our faith and trust in The Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s your choice. Run to Jesus when Satan lobs flaming arrows or allow this enemy to build a nest in your mind, deceive your heart, and destroy your soul.

I’m on my way to the garden this morning. Did those red Christmas balls solve my problem or will there be more fried green tomatoes on the menu tonight?

A Powerful Reminder

By Janet Morris Grimes –

I clearly remember paying that bill. I always do it online, by the fifteenth day of the month, and then document it on my Google calendar.

The only problem was on this particular fifteenth day of July, I was out of town. Driving, on the road for the third consecutive weekend, and to be honest, I had no idea what day it was. To complicate matters, with another full week out of town followed by the daunting task of moving our daughter into the dorm for her first year of college, apparently I never fully went through the stack of mail that awaited us when we finally returned home to stay.

So imagine my surprise when our power went out early in the month of August. I presumed it was caused by construction in the area, and was quick to notify the power company. Instead, they notified me that we were 15 days late in paying our bill, so the power was turned off as a reminder.

That is a pretty powerful reminder, especially when it is 90 degrees outside.

My first thought was: “Oh, it’s August already?” But that retort would have confirmed the dimwit I apparently had become over these wonderful months of summer. I had no way of defending my actions and when I checked my Google calendar, there was no documentation that it had been done in reality. But in my mind, I had already marked it off my list.

Such is the problem with the lack of structure and routine. Perhaps that is why mothers across the globe are so excited to see their children return to school. Because then everyone knows what to expect. Our days fall into a steady pattern, and although it is hectic, it is at least consistent.

Summer has been wonderful, relaxing and filled with the type of opportunities and memories that do not come along every day. A wedding in Ohio? College visits? Vacation? Bible Camp? New job? Done. And I treasured every moment. I can look back at the summer of 2012 with no regrets.

Except for one. Paying that dreaded electric bill. Or rather, the failure to do so.

That is a lesson I will never forget.

And I hate to say it, but bring on the structure.

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