Quote:
Originally Posted by Evang.Benincasa
I have Bible study groups around the city. I don’t hand out tracts. Because I don’t cast pearl. Also don’t want to have to go pick them all up at the end of the day. Don’t stand on the street corner like some of these guys and curse people out in Jesus name. I don’t know about anywhere else but in Broward and Dade you might get your jaw broken. Our Bible studies have been very effective, and we don’t badger people. Hence the reason I’m able to be called the mayor, at locations and businesses that I frequent.
|
Bible study groups are good as well as witnessing anywhere else. You dont hand out tracts because you dont want to cast pearl? Are
ALL SINNERS swine? How could you know that anyone you might give a tract to was swine?
How inconvenient to pick up a tract off the street!
Let me tell you a story.
I was raised for several years attending Church on Sunday. I never got saved but had an interest in God and Christ. Church always seemed quite boring and when Mom told me at age 14 I did not have to attend anymore I was very happy.
For the next 6 years I went through a time of drinking, drugs and other sinful ways. During that time I had various experiences where I can see now the Lord was drawing me.
Once I was sitting in a bar stoned and drunk. I was seeing double (a fuzzines thing) when I would look around. I went to do something and came back there was a tract laying on the table. I picked up looking at it and I could see IT perfectly. Everything else was still the previous fuzziness. It was nothing but Bible verses. I was moved by that.
Another time later when I had started studying some new age type materials I became very confused and at work one day I said to myself "there is no God". I determined I would just forget about God.
I had to go outside and empty the trash and as I did so I noticed the wind blowing and when I looked up I saw a piece of paper coming from the sky. Thinking that was odd I stood waiting for it. It fell right where I was standing!
I picked it up and was stunned as it was a gospel tract! No one was there handing it to me. It just floated right to me when only 10 minutes earlier I had declared I no longer believed in God. I realized something was happening bigger than me! Being scared I then through it away. But my life was changed in that moment. I not only knew God was real shortly afterward I repented and began seeking him in earnest.
How did that tract get there? Apparently some one was passing them out and perhaps it got thrown to the ground. Who knows how long it may have laid there. Then one day he who controls the wind caused it to fall at the feet of a confused young man and pointed him to believe in Jesus.
Now not long after I had received the Holy Spirit I began to pass out tracts and street witness. A few years later we had won our daughters pre school teacher to Christ. After a while she quit coming to Church and we lost contact with her.
Some time later we had been street witnessing. As best I can recall within a few weeks I got a phone call. The voice on the other end said she had found a tract by her house and made her want to come back to the Lord.
I recognized her voice and said "Do you know who you are talking to"? She realized it was me.
NOW...we had passed out those tracts sometime earlier. This woman lived on the other side of Dayton Ohio. We were nowhere near her house that day. Yet days later one of the tracts wound up on the street by her house, and she
JUST HAPPENED to pick it up and call the number. And yes she came back to Church.
Now I have other stories how God has used the tract ministry but this should explain why some of us find joy in taking tracts to the sinners or "whoever" may wind up getting one.
If we assume that everyone is just swine we may run into we may miss great opportunities for service. And if we think they will just get thrown down remember....God may wind up still using it after it's thrown to the ground.
As far as getting beat up think about Stephen. Yes he was beaten, even killed for Jesus. That can happen. I know people who have been punched and kicked while street witnessing. My wife has been jailed in various cities in America for Jesus Christ.
It goes with the territory. Many saints I suppose would find more pleasure in staying home watching football or playing cards or board games.
It could just be that someone reading this might be encouraged to step out and experience for themselves the life of adventure and joy offered by Christ!
Linear Mode
