Tracts And Interesting Conversations

Tracts And Interesting Conversations

Ministry Update May 20, 2018

Since this was finals week at Missouri State University, I decided to hand out Gospel tracts and not open-air preach on Wednesday. I prayed and hoped that 200 students would take tracts and they did. Praise God for that and may the Lord bless and multiply the tracts. It was fun doing something a little different. I had a blessed lunch hour handing out tracts and had some interesting conversations. 

Since I handed out tracts on the way to the witnessing spot, I reloaded with more tracts once I got there. When I looked up, the student that wore the vile t-shirt and told me recently that he wore red in honor of Satan, was walking toward me and only a few feet away. I tried to steady myself for whatever was going to come next. I hate to admit this, but he has been so oppositional to me this year that I wasn’t even going to offer him a tract. (That’s not like me, I normally make them refuse one, even if they’ve said no before). But he noticed them in my hand and said, “I’ll take one.” Then he said, “I like this much better, just my opinion.” In my shocked state, I handed him a tract and just smiled at him.

By All Means Save Some

Even though I believe in open-air preaching very strongly because people walking by cannot un-hear the Gospel, I also agree with the apostle Paul that by all means save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). So if this young man prefers receiving a Gospel tract over hearing open-air preaching, praise God that he received a tract today. May he read it and may the Lord convict him over his sinfulness and may God reveal His Holiness to him.

One older man that has mocked me before walked by, refused the tract and said “keep your propaganda.” But the majority of students were very pleasant and most of them took a tract. Toward the end of my time there, a blonde-haired student walked up to me and said, “You have been here every Wednesday all year.”

He sounded like he was from Sweden or somewhere near there. I handed him a tract and asked if he goes to church anywhere. He told me no. So as I was reaching for an invite card for my church, Crossway Baptist Church, I asked him if he’s staying in town this summer. He told me that he is staying here to party. I gave him the invite card, told him where my church is located and invited him to join us. I hope and pray that he reads the Gospel tract and that he will visit Crossway.

Praising The Righteous One

Friday night, Conner, Pastor Joshua and I had a great time praising the Righteous One. I started us off with a message about how the rocks would cry out if we didn’t praise Jesus. While I was bringing a message about praising Jesus and how He is the only Savior, a young woman walked up next to me and took a selfie. But she didn’t stop there. She added cat ears and whiskers (I think, couldn’t really see) and snapped another selfie. I told her that she’s not mocking me, she’s mocking God and on Judgment Day, He will remind her of this picture, unless she repents and surrenders her life to Jesus.

While I was bringing a message, pastor Joshua talked to a man across the street that said he’s a Christian. They talked for quite a while. The man said that he had a rough childhood. Evidently, he still talked pretty rough even today. But pastor Joshua invited him to his church this Sunday – Hope Baptist Church. We hope and pray that the man comes.

God’s Holiness And His Rich Mercy

Then Conner brought a message from Romans 4:3-8 about how we can’t work our way to Heaven, that we are only justified through faith in Christ alone. He pointed out how may people say no thank you when offered tracts. We are afraid that they really don’t understand their own unrighteousness and God’s Holiness. After Conner, pastor Joshua brought a message from Ephesians 2:1-9. He loves these verses and so do I. We were spiritually dead men until God made us alive in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4 But God being rich in mercy…, I love those words. We are saved by God’s grace, by His mercy, by His love. Salvation is of the Lord. I also love another but God verse – Romans 5:8: But God commended (demonstrated) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. May God bless the open-air preaching and those who heard it as well as the tracts that were handed out. May Jesus Christ our Lord be glorified above all, because He is worthy of all praise, honor and glory.

(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the Gospel with others)