Everlasting
joy and gladness -- sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isa. 35:10). Tracts are usually a small folded up handout we give people
or leave in public places for others to find and read that give a spiritual
message to enhance their coming to Jesus. Using
tracts is a subtle inevasive way to evangelize and spread the news of the
gospel. Get tracts at http://www.adventistbookcenter.com
click on “sharing tracts” and the category
you wish at the bottom of the menu on the left.
Another resource out on the net is at www.chick.com
Jack Chick started these in comic book format way back in 1956.
I like the format but the problem I have found with chick tracts is that they
contain many errors theologically on important issues such as hell, state of the
dead, the rapture, etc.; so I no longer use them. I have found the tracts at adventistbookcenter
to be more accurate, although for the uninformed who would never know the
difference at the beginning, the purpose is still to create enough interest to
get them studying.
Why
tracts? Salvation literature never forgets to make the intended points
about the Gospel; never is too busy to do its job; never gets sick
or injured; never compromises with the truth; never argues but
will always boldly and unashamedly witness to every person, regardless who they
are; can be reread by thousands of people over many years in many different
places; speaks out its message when it is most convenient and opportune to the
recipient of the tract and can be easily verified, if Scripture references are
cited in it.
Salvation literature penetrates homes, prisons, hospitals,
offices and foreign countries. Though you can't speak a foreign language, you
can distribute salvation literature in that language and still be effectively
understood for the Gospel's sake. Tracts can be passed on to one person after
another and continue to bring forth salvations.
The problem with short tracts is that they don’t give you a
lot of space to leave anything but a short message of interest. And that’s
what tracts are all about, to develop enough interest in a person so that he/she
will explore God further. But the main message we are trying to reach people
with is the salvation of Jesus.
I put together the following
which I use as an insert included with all the tracts I hand out or leave laying
around for others to find. It brings home the important message of what it’s
really all about and how Jesus is our only key to heaven. It fits on the front
and back of a half sheet of 81/2 x 11 paper if you use the right type size; 9pt
Times New Roman with 1/2” top, bottom and side margins. Fold it in half the
long way, then in half again the other direction and it ends up 4 ¼” x 2 ¾”
and fits inside the tract the same size just right. See the “tract frontside”
and “tract backside” word
documents in this folder for a printable copy to use in the right font size.
These pages have two sets on each page. Copy a frontside and then copy the
backside onto the backside, cut the page in the middle and you have two pieces
to fold up and put into tracts. The below is the information but in a larger
font so it is easier to read.
Frontside half
The Bible says there is only one way to heaven.
Jesus said,” I am the way, the truth and the light; no man commeth unto the
Father except through me”. John 14:6
Nobody else can save you except Jesus; not Mary, not the saints, not your
angel, not your priest or pastor; you can only be saved through Jesus.
Simply put - “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Messiah Yahshua, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, though shalt be saved”. Romans 10:9
1. Admit you are a sinner Romans 3:10
2. Be willing to turn away from sin; repent. Acts 17:30
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you and your sins, was buried and rose from the dead. Romans 10:9-10
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal savior. Rom 10:13
What to pray
Jesus, Yahshua my Messiah, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that
you shed your precious blood and died for my sins at the cross.
I am willing to repent and turn away from my sins. I invite you to come
into my heart and life as my personal saviour.
I invite your holy spirit to guide me and help me turn from sin. And I
ask this in the name of Yashua the Messiah.
Amen.
If you trust in Jesus, you have just begun a wonderful life with Him. Read your Bible everyday to get to know him better. Talk to God in prayer everyday. Be full immersion baptized, worship, fellowship and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority, not man’s doctrines. Spread the good news (the gospel) and witness to others so they also may see heaven. The Apostle James tells us that when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, that person will desire to do the good works for the Lord. We are not saved as a result of doing good works, for that is a work of Grace. However, a saved person will automatically want to do good works because of the heart change manifested in him. This condition is so automatic that, if a person says they are saved but has no desire to do good works, that person needs to examine their heart to see if they are really and genuinely saved. The true plan of salvation is repentance towards God and faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:21). We prove our repentance by our deeds (Acts 26:20). The Lord Jesus taught the road to life is "hard" and only a "few" will find it (Mt. 7:13,14, NKJV). Many get saved, but afterwards fall away (Lk. 8:13; Jn. 6:66; 1 Tim. 1:19; etc.). In other words, after initial salvation we must endure to the "end" to enter the kingdom of God and escape the lake of fire (Mt. 10:22; Heb. 3:14; Rev. 2:10,11). Eternal life comes to the repentant the moment such believe on Jesus for salvation (Jn. 3:16; 6:47; 1 Jn. 5:12,13), but beware of the false teaching of once saved always saved (OSAS). According to true grace teaching, eternal life is also a HOPE (Titus 3:7), yet to be REAPED (Gal. 6:8,9) in the AGE TO COME (Mk. 10:30) for only the ones who PERSIST IN DOING GOOD (Rom. 2:7) and DO NOT GROW WEARY AND GIVE UP (Gal. 6:9). If a saved person sows to please his sinful nature he'll die spiritually (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 6:8,9). The prodigal son is a clear example of this (Luke15:24,32). The end result of sin is spiritual death. DO NOT BE DECEIVED by the "once saved, always saved" teachers (James 1:14-16). We must continue to believe (TRUST) on Jesus for our soul's salvation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus described his "sheep" as his "followers" (John 10:27). James stated that faith without works is "dead" (James 2:17). In conclusion, Jesus successfully destroyed the devil's work (1 John 3:8). He is the resurrected "Lord of glory" (1 Cor. 2:8), before whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). Jesus, Yashua the Messiah, to be technically correct, has the ONLY name in which salvation is found (Acts 4:12), is the ONLY mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5) and is the judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5). We are advised in Scripture to go directly to Him for forgiveness and to TRUST in Him alone for our soul's salvation.
Heaven – What will it be
Like?
Everlasting
joy and gladness -- sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isa. 35:10).
Singing,
praising, and worshiping God (Rev. 5:9-14; 19:1-8).
No
more death, mourning, crying, pain, curse, night or devil (Rev. 20:10; 21:4;
22:1-5). There will be no need for a hospital, police force, prison, cemetery or
ambulance service.
Perfect
peace in the animal kingdom , the wolf will dwell with the lamb (Isa. 11:6-9).
A
new Heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).
New
Jerusalem is approx 375 miles high, long and wide, has walls of jasper, streets
of gold, and gates of pearls that are never shut (Rev. 21:15-27). The architect
and builder of the Holy City is God Himself (Heb. 11:10). There is no need for
the sun or moon to shine on it for "the Lamb is its lamp" (Rev. 21:23;
22:5). The river of the water of life, the tree of life, and the throne of God
and of the Lamb will be in the city (Rev. 22:1-5).
"better by far" compared to this
life (Phil. 1:21,23).
Prepared
for those who love God (Jam. 2:5) or the righteous (Mt. 25:34-40).
How do you get to heaven?
TRUST
IN JESUS – not Mary, not the pope, not the saints, not your angel, not your
priest or pastor, but in JESUS,
Yahshua the Messiah – only.
Only
by grace, not by works (Eph. 2:8,9). Good works is testimony of your faith.
Go
sincerely and directly to Jesus, as the thief did who found forgiveness (Luke.
23:42,43 &. John. 5:39,40). God
knows your heart,
be sincere.
Love
Jesus more than your parents, spouse, children, brothers, sisters and even your
own life (Mt. 10:37; Lk. 14:26). Jesus said, "Any of you who does not give
up everything he has cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:33).
Deny
yourself, take up your cross daily
and follow Him (Lk. 9:23).
Be
willing to die physically for Jesus if necessary (Mt. 10:39; Lk. 17:33; Rev.
12:11).
Persist
in doing good (Rom. 2:7). Your actions are witness & evidence of your
beliefs.
Sow
to please the Spirit and reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8,9).
Obey
Him because He is the
source of eternal salvation for all who do (Heb. 5:9).
Live
for Christ now (Phil. 1:21). Obedience
to the Law is evidence of your faith.
He
who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life
(1 Jn. 5:12). For more info call
376-765-6463, see www.ajijicsda.com
or go to www.detailshere.com/bible.htm
, for free Bible Lesson study CD’s in English or Spanish.
_______________________________________
More about our duty to witness for God
According to Scripture, every
Christian with no exception, has been commissioned to spread the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus. Please ponder the following Scriptures:
Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mt.
28:19).
He
said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation (Mk.
16:15).
He
told them, This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the
dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be
preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are
witnesses of these things (Lk. 24:46-48).
He
commanded us to preach to the people and
to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the
dead (Acts 10:42).
How,
then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they
believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without
someone preaching to them? (Rom. 10:14).
Remember
your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their
way of life and imitate their faith (Heb.
13:7).
All
this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the
ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).
Regardless who you are as a
Christian you can fulfill your responsibility as a minister of reconciliation,
in part, by distributing doctrinally sound salvation literature.
Salvation tracts have many advantages over a
verbal witness, though we must never downplay the verbal message of the Gospel.
Please consider that salvation literature: never forgets to make the
intended points about the Gospel; never is too busy to do its job; never
gets sick or injured; never compromises with the truth; never argues
but will always boldly and unashamedly witness to every person, regardless who
they are; can be reread by thousands of people over many years in many different
places; speaks out its message when it is most convenient and opportune to the
recipient of the tract and can be easily verified, if Scripture references are
cited in it.
Salvation literature penetrates homes,
prisons, hospitals, offices and foreign countries. Though you can't speak a
foreign language, you can distribute salvation literature in that language and
still be effectively understood for the Gospel's sake. Tracts can be passed on
to one person after another and continue to bring forth salvations. This is what
happened for our ministry as we sent a Bible and a few of our own salvation
tracts to a person in Ghana, Africa. He in turn passed one of our tracts on to
his friend, who repented after reading it and talking to a friend. (You can read
his actual letter here.)
Tracts can give the salvation message to those
never saved, to those once saved but now lost; and beyond that they encourage
those currently saved. In fact, Christians are to affect other Christians in the
following good way:
And let us consider how we
may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24).
A good example, such as a
Christian distributing salvation literature, can do this in part!
Furthermore, the following command is also being obeyed by those that spread
salvation literature:
Be very careful, then, how
you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil (Eph. 5:15,16).
Though tracts ideally should
be handed directly to people, they are also effective if left laying around for
someone to pick up! Any Christian, regardless how new in the faith, can leave
tracts lay around. Salvation tracts can be used at airports, amusement parks,
apartment complexes, arcades, ball games, banks, bus terminals, toll booths,
conventions, county fairs, at doctor's offices, flea markets, garage sales, gas
stations, parades, in cigarette, pop and candy machines, greeting cards,
restaurants with your tip, in restrooms, subways, trains, busy street corners,
elevators, hotel rooms, telephone booths, on bulletin boards, college campuses
and other places you visit from time to time. An ideal time to hand someone a
tract is often when they are in a parked car waiting for their family member or
friend to return, such as in a parking lot at a shopping mall or grocery store.
Try enclosing one in each envelope when you pay your bills. Day or night tracts
can do their job!
Witnessing is the only way
to save yourself from another's blood:
Son of man, I have made
you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them
warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely
die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man
will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But
if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he
will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself (Ezek. 33:7-9).
Surely Paul considered that
passage a New Testament responsibility, as we read in the following:
But when the Jews opposed
Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them,
"Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles" (Acts 18:6).
Therefore, I declare to
you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not
hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God (Acts 20:26,27).
The fruit of the righteous
is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise (Prov. 11:30).
Those
who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those
who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever (Dan.
11:3).
How
beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who
proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!" (Isa. 52:7).
If all Christians during
all the ages were as zealous, faithful, committed and serious about winning
souls as YOU, would there be more or less people in Hell today?
A Christian distributing salvation literature
should be tactful and polite. He should also be kind and patient, like he'd want
the person to whom he is witnessing to be to him if the tables were turned.
Remember the following:
And the Lord's servant must
not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach,
not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the
hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the
truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the
devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (2 Tim. 2:24-26).
Always
be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping
a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good
behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander (1 Pet. 3:15,16).
If possible, the soul winner
should never hand out wrinkled or dirty salvation literature. Again, would you
want someone to hand you a piece of literature that is less than good in
appearance? Not likely!
What was his attitude
regarding this?
I try to please everybody
in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that
they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:33).
For souls to be saved, they
must first hear and receive the word of God. See Luke 8:11-15. Furthermore, the
early Christians, from all walks of life, held out the word of life:
Do everything without
complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of
God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like
stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I
may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing (Phil.
2:14-16).
Unlike in our day,
first-century Christians witnessed! Male and females all spread the salvation
message. It was not just the apostles, as we learn from the persecution
connected with Stephen:
On that day a great
persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the
apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried
Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going
from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those
who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went (Acts 8:1-4).
Now
those who had been scattered by the
persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and
Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men
from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling
them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a
great number of people believed and turned to the Lord (Acts 11:19-21).
NOTE: only the apostles
stayed in Jerusalem. All of the other Christians left Jerusalem and witnessed as
they traveled! Consider also the following:
The Lord's message rang
out from you not only in Macedonia and
Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere (1 Thess. 1:8).
As
you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world (John 17:18).
In John 17:18, the context
reveals that the pronoun them refers to all of the Lord's
disciples, that is, all Christians. Another similar Scripture is the following
one:
But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Again, the context shows it
was the 120 in the upper room (Acts 1:15) and not just the Lord's apostles that
were to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. That number was
composed of both men and women!
In our day, salvation literature will help in
this noble endeavor of spreading the Lord's Gospel. Yet, it seems that few
realize how important salvation literature is as they continue to let precious
witnessing opportunities slip through their fingers to the eternal detriment of
others and themselves as well. Remember we can be held accountable for another's
blood.
Friend, if you don't have a tract ministry,
start one today! It takes very little effort to get literature out, even for shy
people. Let our ministry help you with our own favorite salvation tract written
by this ministry. It has a message of Heaven, printed in blue, on one side and a
message of Hell, printed in red, on the other side. Both sides are loaded with
relevant truths about salvation that sometimes will stop people in their tracks
as they read it! We've seen this on multiple occasions. As a special,
limited-time offer, send $5.00 in the USA (or $10.00 outside the USA) and we'll
send you 200 of our Heaven and Hell tracts, as just described, that will get you
started with this important ministry and Christian responsibility.
As mentioned at the
beginning of this article, salvation literature should be Biblically
"sound." Don't just hand out anything because it is cheap or even
free. Especially make sure the heresy of eternal security is not taught in it,
since we don't want to share in the evil work of that false gospel, false grace
and "license for immorality."
Moreover, the traditional "Romans Road" salvation presentation omits
too many key verses in Romans like Rom. 2:7; 8:13; 11:19-23 and 13:11 related to
salvation. Therefore, it might be better to avoid it. Finally, all sound
salvation literature will include repentance for salvation's sake (2 Pet.
3:9; Acts 20:21; etc.). Repentance means turning from evil. God
bless you as you go forth with His life-giving message.
